Bangladesh Parliament Passes Strict 2026 Online Gambling Law

The Bangladesh Parliament has approved the Gambling Prevention Act 2026, replacing a colonial-era statute dating back to 1867. The legislation introduces comprehensive restrictions on digital wagering, cryptocurrency transactions, and virtual private network usage.

Penalties for Digital Wagering and Sports Integrity

The new framework classifies multiple online activities as criminal offenses. Bookmaking and casino operations face penalties of up to seven years imprisonment and fines reaching $4,057,000 and $811,000 respectively. Sports integrity violations carry similar terms, with match-fixing punishable by seven years and spot-fixing by five years, alongside fines up to $811,000 and $405,000. Promotional campaigns featuring athletes, influencers, and media outlets are restricted to three years of incarceration and a $405,000 penalty.

Technical Compliance and Corporate Accountability

Routing connections through VPNs, proxy servers, content delivery networks, or cloud infrastructure results in seven-year sentences and $4,057,000 fines. Identity verification failures, including counterfeit SIM cards, fabricated MFS accounts, and biometric manipulation, incur identical imprisonment terms with $405,000 financial penalties. Corporate accountability extends beyond direct operators to include executive management, payment processors, hosting companies, and financial intermediaries. Cases involving coordinated syndicates or capital laundering trigger enhanced sanctions of ten years imprisonment and $4,057,000 fines. Authorities may also seize assets utilized in unauthorized wagering operations, covering data servers, hardware, transportation vehicles, and commercial properties. The regulatory update was reported by iGaming News.