Bangladesh Criminalizes Online Gambling Under New Cyber Security Act

On June 24, 2026, Bangladesh's Finance Minister announced that online gambling is now classified as a criminal offense under the Cyber Security Act 2026. This legislation, effective from April 10, 2026, imposes penalties of up to two years in prison and fines up to Taka one crore. Approximately 55,000 Mobile Financial Service accounts linked to online gambling have been frozen by the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU). The BFIU has submitted an intelligence report to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which has initiated investigations. The BFIU continues to monitor financial transactions related to online gambling and is preparing further reports to identify offenders. In response to the rising online gambling activities, Bangladesh Bank had previously issued directives to MFS providers to enhance monitoring of accounts. Awareness campaigns are also being conducted to inform the public about the dangers of online gambling.

Key Points: • Online gambling is now a criminal offense in Bangladesh under the Cyber Security Act 2026. • Penalties include up to two years imprisonment and fines up to Taka one crore. • The BFIU has frozen around 55,000 accounts linked to online gambling activities.