The Bangladeshi Cabinet has given in-principle approval to the draft its new gambling law, the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026, which provides a comprehensive update to the existing The Public Gambling Act, 1867.
According to state-owned news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS News), the law was drafted in response to the expansion of modern technology which has facilitated the spread of various forms of online and offline gambling activities.
It aims to “maintain public order, reduce criminal tendencies, prevent socio-economic and psychological harm, and preserve the country’s overall moral and economic balance.”
Specifically, the draft law clearly defines gambling, gambling premises, gambling equipment, digital assets, digital gambling platforms, digital wallets, totalizators, online and remote gambling, betting, bookmakers, match-fixing, spot-fixing and other gambling-related activities.
The law will now be presented to parliament but remains subject to vetting by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, BSS News said.
Gambling is, for the most part, illegal in Bangladesh with the exception of some horse-race betting and government-approved lotteries.
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