Bangladesh is considering changes to its online gambling legislation: it has been in effect since 1867

Bangladeshi authorities are working on a new bill that will completely replace the outdated gambling law from the last century.

The Minister of Home Affairs has already stated that the drafting of the document is in its final stages. The new law will be submitted to parliament for approval during the next session.

It is reported that the main goal of the bill is to create a modern legal framework to combat digital betting and underground online gambling. The Minister of Internal Affairs emphasized that the availability of online gambling has become a serious threat to the national economy, security, and the country’s younger generation.

The current law, dating back to 1867, is unable to regulate the sphere of online bookmakers and mobile casinos, which is why there is an urgent need for radical legislative measures.

According to government estimates, up to 5 million residents use the services of illegal sites each year. More than 1,000 mobile financial service agents engaged in illegal gambling have been identified in the country. Information about them has been forwarded to the Central Bank for license revocation.

Local officials and analysts believe that gambling, in particular, has caused the country’s GDP growth rate to slow from 6–7% to 3–4%.

However, there is no talk of legalizing gambling in the country: in the new document, the government intends to clearly define the concept of iGaming, establish jurisdiction over foreign platforms, and determine penalties commensurate with the scale of the digital problem.