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 Bangladesh · Question 01 of 11

# Overview: What kind of market is this?

Unfavourable · Confirmed · AI-generated · [Back to full Bangladesh report →](https://advennt.io/jurisdictions/bangladesh/)

Key section parameters

| Jurisdiction | Bangladesh (BD) |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Recorded in register |
| Favourability | Unfavourable |
| Confidence | Confirmed |
| Review status | AI-generated |
| Last collected | 18 Oct 2026 |

Summary answer

Bangladesh enacted the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 (Act No. 98 of 2026), published in the Gazette Extraordinary on 1 July 2026 and effective immediately under section 1(2), repealing the Public Gambling Act, 1867 in full. The new Act is a comprehensive criminal prohibition regime rather than a lic…

### Key headwinds & conditions

- Total prohibition of private gambling under the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 (which repealed the Public Gambling Act 1867) + Cyber Security Ordinance 2025 s.20
- No licensing pathway of any kind
- Punitive criminal enforcement (NCSA/CID/BTRC) and MFS account freezes
- ~90% Muslim-majority OIC member — liberalisation politically near-impossible
- Crypto fully banned; no legal payment rail

## Full section analysis

Bangladesh enacted the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 (Act No. 98 of 2026), published in the Gazette Extraordinary on 1 July 2026 and effective immediately under section 1(2), repealing the Public Gambling Act, 1867 in full. The new Act is a comprehensive criminal prohibition regime rather than a licensing framework, reaching physical gambling, online and remote gambling, online betting, bookmaking, match and spot-fixing, gambling advertising and promotion, and crypto-enabled gambling-money-flow conduct. There is no licensed operator class and no regulator administering an authorisation regime; the state's posture is prohibition backed by severe custodial and financial penalties, non-bailable offence classification, and a dedicated Cyber Tribunal. Parallel financial-sector enforcement through large-scale mobile-financial-service account freezes indicates the prohibition is being actively enforced rather than left as a legislative statement.