In Bangladesh, laws prohibit online gambling. But it cannot be stopped due to the weakness in legal framework. Many believe online betting has increased in Bangladesh in recent years due to the impact of digitization.
They observe online gambling has recently taken a new form through digital means. Due to this, people are able to open accounts on various online gambling apps or websites from home.
Meanwhile, the same trend is being seen during the ongoing IPL as well as the BPL at different times. Online gambling advertisements are running freely in Bangladesh on Facebook, Instagram, and Google. Top stars of Bangladesh are participating in these advertising campaigns in exchange for money.
Those concerned believe that this is having an impact on the young society. They said that a coordinated effort is needed to stop online gambling.
On April 27, the High Court ordered the formation of an investigation committee to identify online gambling or betting websites and applications, including advertising campaigns, determine how their activities are conducted, and find the people involved in them. The investigation has been asked to submit a report to the court within 90 days.
On the other hand, at a press conference on May 6, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said the Cyber Security Ordinance has been approved in the meeting of the Advisory Council, banning all types of online gambling.
The law will be finalized this week after the vetting by the Law Ministry.
Despite the fact, online gambling has not stopped and being played on various apps through digital means.
On April 28, about the online gambling, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor on the Department of Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology, said in a Facebook status that allegations of money laundering in the name of online gambling, crypto currency and e-commerce MLM are intensifying against some mobile financial companies. We will work on these issues after the Cyber Law is passed.
He warned that they are giving advance warning to financial organizations including mobile banking. Because of, cyber gambling companies are integrated with mobile banking, banks, financial houses or payment gateways, MFS/PSO/PSP, etc.
"Irregular, one-way and unusual transactions are happening in the mobile financial accounts of certain pools month after month. Money is going to a pool of numbers, it is being cashed out to a specific number and smuggled out. You pretend not to see it and say, I am not involved! This will not happen. So everyone involved in illegal gambling should be careful," said Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb.
There are no accurate statistics on how much money the online gambling market is worth in Bangladesh and how many people are involved in this gambling game.
However, on February 24, a dialogue titled 'Youth Society and Online Safety' organized by Jaago Foundation and TikTok revealed that about 50 lakh people gamble through hundreds of online gambling sites and apps in Bangladesh. The online gambling market in Bangladesh is expected to grow by 4.7 per cent in 2026 compared to 2020.
However, they could not give an idea about the online gambling market. But a report published in the Indian media (India Today) on June 20 last year said the illegal online gambling market in the country collects about 100 billion dollars annually. From that, it can be estimated that the market in Bangladesh is over hundred crore of taka.
Many people are getting involved in crime to collect money from this gambling addiction and pay off debts.
Abir Al Rafi, a fourth-semester student in the civil engineering department at a government technical institute in Feni, got addicted to online gambling and wasted money on gambling by promising to buy a laptop. Later, in need of money, Rafi entered the Faruk commissioner's house to steal. At that time, the maid saw him stealing. Rafi then stabbed to death her. He was arrested by the police on January 8.
On the night of March 20, a young man named Rusel Mia, 35, was allegedly hanged to death in the Aramnagar Bazar area of Sarishabari Upazila of Jamalpur for not paying him Tk 3,500 for gambling.
The several police official think that now people are gambling or betting in various ways including digital platform. But, there is no law on online gambling yet. Therefore, they think that a coordinated effort of family, society and everyone is needed to control online gambling or betting.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Deputy Commissioner (Media) Muhammad Talebur Rahman told The Observer, "Our law has some limitations regarding online gambling. If it is brought into the legal framework, it will be easier for us to take action in this regard."
He also said that there is a very old law regarding gambling. Online gambling cannot be compared with it. We have not yet received the issue of banning online gambling in the Cyber Security Ordinance in the form of a law. If we get that, we will be able to work in light with that.
Enamul Haque Sagar, Assistant Inspector General of Police (Media and Public Relations) at the Police Headquarters, told The Observer that their specialized teams are working on online gambling, and in this case, action is taken against criminals under existing laws.
