Gambling In Bangladesh Surges As Authorities Attempt Clampdown
Bangladesh is following in the footsteps of other Asian countries and seeing an explosion in online gambling, as they grapple with ways to police it.
According to a recent report, the surge in Asia’s online gambling market has hit $12 billion, with Bangladesh listed alongside India and Philippines as one of the fastest‑growing markets in the region.
Within Bangladesh, the explosion of online betting and casino‑style apps has been fuelled by widespread smartphone use, easy access through mobile financial services (MFS), and aggressive marketing — reaching urban youth and rural users alike.
READ: Top Bangladesh gambling sites and apps
One 2024‑report, quoted in multiple news reports, estimates more than 5 million people are already addicted to online gambling, with some projections warning this could swell past 20 million by 2027.
The social toll has been steep. Recent investigative journalism highlights criminal investigations, financial ruin and family breakdowns tied to unchecked gambling addiction. A study in Dhaka found about 32% of people aged 18–30 had participated in some form of online gambling — many losing significant amounts each month.
In response, the government introduced a definitive clampdown. The Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025 has closed previous loopholes by explicitly outlawing the creation, promotion or facilitation of online gambling platforms — with fines and jail time now on the table.
Authorities moved quickly, instructing telecoms and financial institutions to block gambling‑related ads and shut down suspect websites.
Bangladesh’s telecommunications and ICT minister Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb said recently they would have a zero tolerance to gambling advertising in local media, saying news websites and social media must abide by the updated laws.
“Almost all media outlets are still actively participating in unsafe content and gambling advertisements, because they earn money from them,” he said.
“Multiple notices have already been issued. There will be no further public notice — we will simply close them. These sites must be shut down.”
Despite this, Bangladeshis are still targeted heavily by offshore online casinos, with these companies based in places like Curacao, Costa Rica and Belize, where very little oversight is put on licensees, which leaves enforcement in a quandary.
As Bangladesh reckons with its sudden gambling boom, the question remains: can legal crackdowns, social awareness and regulatory tools combine effectively to halt the online gambling surge?
Regulation the path forward in Bangladesh gambling
Bangladesh must modernise and legalise some forms of real money gambling or they will continue to bleed money to foreign casino and sports betting sites.
The social cost of allowing gambling to run rampant in a society, without checks in place to help problem gamblers and those who are addicted, is too great, even if it upsets some of the strict Muslim population.
A modernised gambling framework with a licensing regime just makes sense for a country of 170million that is already obsessed with sports betting, notably cricket, basketball and football.
As we have seen in many Western countries, taxation of the online gambling industry, can help fund regulation and tools to help problem gamblers, rather than leave them to fight the battle on their own.
While we have our doubts about the accuracy of the 5million problem gamblers in Bangladesh, given the author’s relative inexperience in data and analysis, there is undoubtedly a problem that must be addressed.
You can learn more about the online gambling scene in Bangladesh in our extensive guide.
