TLDR Bangladesh has proposed the Gambling Prevention Bill of 2026 to replace the Public Gambling Act of 1867. The draft names Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT, along with VPNs and digital wallets, as tools used in online gambling. Courts could close bank accounts, digital wallets and cryptocurrency wallets linked to gambling. The government would use AI monitoring, facial recognition and a national digital blacklist database. Penalties include up to seven years in prison and fines of up to BDT 5 crore for online betting.
Bangladesh has proposed a new law to replace its gambling rules from the colonial era. The Gambling Prevention Bill of 2026 would take the place of the Public Gambling Act of 1867.
The draft covers both traditional gambling and online platforms. It also names cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and USDT, as tools used in online gambling.
What the Bill Covers
The bill defines gambling broadly. It includes any game played for money or other valuable items, such as bingo, roulette, poker and card games.
Online gambling is treated as its own category. This includes sports betting, live betting, exchange betting, casino betting, virtual betting, fantasy betting and esports betting.
The draft also lists technology linked to online gambling. Along with cryptocurrencies, it names VPN services, proxies, mirror sites, ghost SIM cards, mobile banking accounts and digital wallets.
Older laws focused on gaming houses and individual players. The new bill targets the wider network behind gambling operations.
Marketing is also covered. Sponsorships, affiliate programs, referral campaigns and social media promotions fall under the bill, which means influencers could face enforcement.
Surveillance and Financial Controls
Authorities could act against anyone using VPNs, proxy servers, hosting services, domain services or cloud systems to run or hide gambling. The bill also targets efforts to reopen blocked sites through