Oral betting has taken an epidemic form in Bangladesh, especially in Dhaka.
It is practiced widely and discreetly to attract a growing number of participants from lower and middle-income communities.
Shopkeepers, rickshaw pullers, van drivers, day labourers and young people from diverse backgrounds are increasingly involved in this underground economy, driven by the lure of quick money and excitement over sporting events.
The betting activities are intricately tied to global and regional sporting spectacles, particularly cricket and football. High-profile franchise leagues such as the Indian Premier League (IPL), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Big Bash League (BBL), and Pakistan Super League (PSL) are fertile grounds for betting. Wagers are placed on match outcomes, individual achievements like centuries, half-centuries, hat-tricks, boundaries, over-boundaries and wicket hauls. In extreme cases, bets are made on every delivery, whether the next ball will be a wide, a boundary, a dot ball or a wicket. Betting amounts range from 500 to as much as 100,000 Taka, a sum that for many represents several months of household income.
Unlike the flashy digital platforms associated with online gambling, oral betting operates in silence and shadows on street corners, in saloons, tea stalls, rickshaw and van garages, tampoo stands and even public parks. The infrastructure that supports oral betting is surprisingly robust. Televisions in barbershops and tea stalls, along with smartphones and mobile internet, keep participants updated with live scores and match statistics. Unlike online gambling platforms that require digital literacy, identification and internet-savvy users, oral betting is accessible to anyone regardless of education or technological skills. This ease of participation has enabled its spread among the urban poor, many of whom fall prey to addiction and financial ruin.
Oral betting in Dhaka has devastating social consequences. It is leading to family breakdowns, mental health crises and entanglement with criminal networks. Stigma keeps many addicts silent and unsupported, while for youth in slums, betting has become a perceived escape from poverty. Tied to the informal economy, it fuels debt, extortion and violence.
Roni Dey, a 35-year-old motor mechanic from Old Dhaka, lost 300,000 Taka during the ongoing BPL season. To pay off part of his debt, he sold a motorcycle from his garage without the owner's consent. He now lives in constant fear and frustration. He is also worried about the future of his five-year-old daughter. Riaz Mia, a rickshaw puller, went without food for his family throughout the month of April after a streak of daily betting losses. His household is now a site of constant chaos and despair. Saidul, a street vendor selling Pitha (traditional cakes), lost all his savings to oral betting and is now unable to resume his livelihood as no one is willing to offer a loan to a 'juary' (gambler).
While the government has begun targeting online betting platforms through the provisions of the BTRC National Security Act, 2023, oral betting remains untouched by legal action. This is primarily because oral betting leaves no digital footprint, no paper trail and no official evidence. The Public Gambling Act of 1867 is focused on physical 'gaming houses' and 'financial transactions leaves'. So, oral betting remains outside its scope.
Oral betting in Dhaka is a growing social crisis, silently damaging families, morals, and livelihoods, especially among the vulnerable. Though less visible than online gambling, its impact is equally severe. Without urgent action, it will only deepen poverty and despair.
