Bangladesh Casino Site Guide – Online Gambling in Bangladesh for 2024
While popular and cherished by players, the online gambling industry in Bangladesh is currently not legally allowed. Nevertheless, legal prohibition might be rather tricky and difficult to understand, so we will try our best to clarify all doubts and share a little bit more about gambling in the country.
Gambling in Bangladesh – Quick Overview
Due to Bangladesh’s rather conservative culture, all gambling activities with the exception of horse racing are legally prohibited. There are no brick and mortar casinos on the territory of the country. The official Bangladesh gambling law dates back from the era of British rule. It was initially created as India gambling law and consequently inherited by Pakistan and eventually by Bangladesh. The law became part of Bangladesh’s constitution following its independence from Pakistan in 1973. The annexes were modified and rewritten a few times to clarify that lottery is not a gambling activity and should be permitted and that all horse racing and bookmaking operators must be charged a tax worth 21% of their earnings. Currently, you can enjoy some of the top online casinos in Pakistan.
However, the legal situation in Bangladesh is much more complicated and we shall explore it further in the following paragraphs. So, continue reading!
Legal Status of Online Gambling in Bangladesh
Even though the Bangladesh gambling law has gone through certain changes throughout the years, all online gambling activities in the country, except for horse racing, are still illegal. No gambling ventures should be established on the territory of the country. If such a crime is committed, the owner of the venture in question shall be fined 200 Taka and could be sent to prison for up to three months. A similar penalty will receive all gamblers involved in illegal gambling activity. They will be fined 100 Taka and will be imprisoned for up to one month. When it comes to online gambling, however, the law is much looser as there is no stated penalty for online gamblers. This is the reason why online gambling in Bangladesh has gained popularity in the last few years. There are many casino sites that accept players from the country. We must state, however, that online gambling is still an illegal activity, even when not mentioned directly in the law. According to our investigation, there are no reports of Bangladeshi online gamblers being prosecuted for their activities.
Responsible Gambling – Which Institutions Can You Trust?
According to our investigation, there are no charity services dealing with gambling addiction in Bangladesh. There could be a few reasons for this. The first one is that all gambling activities are prohibited by the law. The second one is that the majority of the population of Bangladesh are Muslims and the gambling is prohibited in Islam. However, there are still private institutions that could help in battling gambling problems. The players can also use some of the gambling services recommended by international operators. For example, GamCare is one of the most popular charity services offering a free phone number and a live chat option, which could be beneficial to Bangladeshi players.
History of Gambling in Bangladesh
Unfortunately, Bangladesh does not have a long gambling history due to the more than century-old legal prohibition. Ignoring the possible penalties, however, many Bangladeshis do get involved in various gambling activities such as betting and putting wagers on the outcomes of certain sports. As we mentioned in a previous paragraph, the Bangladeshi inherited the law back from the times when they were a British colony and kept using it even after their independence from Pakistan became official in 1973. As we clarified above, due to their religion, the Bangladesh government is unlikely to change the law in favour of gambling activities. However, there are many casino sites that accept players from Bangladesh and give you the chance to gamble online for real money.
Conclusion: Current Gambling Status – To Be Clarified!
We hope that our review has been helpful and useful to you. We did our best to gather all the important information and incorporate it in the text, however, we will update our research once we have more details with regards to gambling in the country. As of now, all online gambling activities with the exception of horse race betting and lotteries are strictly forbidden, but we will keep you updated for any changes in the legal framework.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gambling in Bangladesh
As we said, the gambling laws in Bangladesh are kind of confusing and are considered as a bit of a grey area, especially considering online gambling. That is why very often question emerge, so we have answered some of the most popular ones, asked by people interested in gambling in Bangladesh.
Why is Gambling Forbidden in Bangladesh?
A large portion of Bangladesh’s population is Muslim, and the Quran explicitly forbids all forms of gambling. The government is heavily influenced by religious factors, and the Bangledesh Gambling Law prohibits all forms of gambling in the country, except for lotteries and horse racing.
Why Only Horse Race Betting is Allowed in Bangladesh?
We all know that horse racing can not exist without gambling. Many Islamic nations adore horse racing and call it “The Sport of Kings”. That is why the government of Bangladesh has decided to make an exception for horse racing bets.
Are There any Bangladesh-Based Online Sports Betting Sites?
No, there aren’t. Bangladeshi players are only allowed to access foreign online sports betting sites accepting residents of Bangladesh. Players should be aware that there are no online gambling sites available in the country’s official language - Bengali.
Is There a Legal Online Casino in Bangladesh?
No, currently, there is no online casino in Bangladesh that can operate legally in the country. Still, there are several offshore operators that welcome players from Bangladesh. However, we would not recommend signing up to them, as you would risk facing possible legal prosecutions.