Bangladesh is a South Asian country in the Bay of Bengal, being part of Pakistan until 1971 when it gained its independence. A parliamentary constitutional republic was subsequently formed in 1991. The Public Gambling Act of 1867 is still the only piece of legislation around gambling. There are no local betting sites in Bangladesh because they are prohibited, as all forms of gambling are.
The horse race track (Ramma Race Course) is now a tourist attraction, the Suhrawardy Udyan, which serves as a cemetery for three of the country’s greatest leaders. The archaic law neither applies, nor has any reference to online betting. As a result, punters are betting on whichever site they want, including major international bookies like Bet365 Bangladesh and 1xbet bd.
Best Betting Sites in Bangladesh
With locals being able to access any of the top cricket bookmakers, we list the ones that deliver a wide variety of betting markets, along with competitive odds and great promotions on a daily basis.
Betting in Bangladesh - 5 Things to Know
- 1 All forms of gambling are illegal
- 2 No international bookies have a license in Bangladesh
- 3 The only Gambling Act dates back to 1867
- 4 Horse racing was the only form of legal betting
- 5 Online betting falls under no legal framework
General info
⏩Population: 161.000.000
⏩Active players: 13.000.000
⏩Currency: Bangladeshi Taka (BDT)
⏩Regulated gambling products: No form of gambling is allowed
⏩Operator types: Unlicensed online bookies and casinos
⏩Designated Authority: No designated gambling authority
⏩Status: Unregulated
Online Betting in Bangladesh: The Legal Framework
The first and only gambling law is the Public Gambling Act of 1867 and betting in Bangladesh falls under it. It doesn’t address online gambling, which is natural when you consider how old it is. There is no designated gambling regulator either.
The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs basically ensures that gambling is not taking place in Bangladesh, along with the police which has the same authority. No betting licenses are up for grabs and there is also no tax model in place for betting companies, since they do not operate locally.
There is a reference on the Amusements Tax Act of 1922 on taxes on betting, but still, no specific figures are available. All forms of gambling are illegal. Remember that we’re talking about a Muslim country, traditionally having an anti-gambling attitude.
Yet, there are no restricted sites and players can enjoy online betting. An international betting site in Bangladesh can be easily accessed by local punters since no measures are taken against them. Online payments on the other hand are under close watch from the government, on which we will refer shortly below.
Essential Information for Bettors
The best thing about being only able to place bets online is that there is no tax applying to your winnings. No measures are in place against players who opt for online bookies either. Therefore, find a Bangladesh betting site that accepts players from your country, open an account and bet on.
It’s advised that you stick to e-wallets in order to have safer and faster withdrawals because banks are monitoring the online use of credit cards. When betting online, remember that you are not violating any law.
Gambling is only illegal in land-based premises. Many internationally renowned bookmakers offer their services to Bangladeshi players, some of them providing local language and currency as well.
Bangladesh Bet: How to Deposit at Online Bookies
The use of payment methods other than the traditional ones is common in the country. The Bangladesh Bank, though, has issued a notice to commercial banks, in order to ask for an ‘online transaction authorization form’ (OTAF) from their clients for any foreign payment that is made in an effort to limit transactions that might be connected with illegal gambling.
So, try to avoid credit card payments. Skrill and Neteller are available in Bangladesh and are a common way of funding your betting account while keeping your anonymity and achieving fast withdrawal times. Many players also engage in iPay and Payoneer gambling, which will also ensure a safe online payment environment.
List of Betting Sites Accepting Bangladeshi Taka
We present you a list of the bookmakers that offer betting in Bangladeshi Taka (BDT).
Gambling Regulations in Closeby States
⏩ India: In 2018, the Law Commission took significant steps to fully regulate gambling in the country. Even though there are still hard condemnations from the state and religious entities, both international and local Indian betting sites flourish.
⏩ Nepal: Even though gambling is technically illegal, tourists are still allowed to play in the country's land-based casinos. Not only that, but because of the absence of a regulatory body that oversees the activity, users can sign up for any of the best betting sites in Nepal.
⏩ Sri Lanka: For years, there was not a clear framework. That changed in 2010 when the Casino Business Act came into effect. After that, anyone who wanted to accept wagers had to apply and obtain a local license in the country. However, this only works for land-based brands, which is why online betting in Sri Lanka has gained more and more popularity over the years.
The Future of Online Betting in Bangladesh
As is the norm in most Muslim countries, all forms of gambling are prohibited in Bangladesh. This is something that is not really possible to change in the coming years and there are no such indications either. What could change is for the state - and banks - to keep a more lenient stance towards online payments.
Authorities are constantly searching for illegal gambling premises, trying to impose measures and restrictions. International bookies are keeping an eye on possible changes since sports betting in Bangladesh constitutes a common activity. However, the future does not look very bright for the time being.
The old Public Gambling Act doesn’t refer to the online environment at all. So, officially, it is not illegal. No prosecutions on players have ever been reported for betting online, therefore, you may join the thousands of punters who are already enjoying it.
Since online transactions are under close supervision when using credit cards, when it comes to placing your online bets you should stick to e-wallets like Skrill or Neteller, to keep your anonymity and ensure fast withdrawal times.
Skrill does offer its services to Bangladesh, which allows you to keep your anonymity when betting online. Log in to the official Skrill site and just follow the online step by step instructions in order to create your account.
Bangladesh is a country where all forms of gambling are banned. However, only land-based gambling is officially banned. So, find an online bookmaker that will accept players from Bangladesh without worrying about facing restrictions.
All the online bookmakers featured in this article, are international betting companies holding licenses of some of the most famous licensing authorities. All you have to do is stick to these and experience safe betting.
The Curacao-licensed bookmaker Melbet gladly accepts players from Bangladesh, offering a 97%+ overall payout on top leagues. What’s more, you can open an account using your local Taka currency.
No, it does not. More specifically, 22Bet is one of the most popular international bookmakers that decided not to offer their services to Bangladeshi punters. For more info on the restricted countries, follow our 22bet review.
You should actually avoid bet99z, it is a scam site. It is constructed in a way to resemble the Bet365 site, as are other sites too. So, just stick to the original bet365.com webpage and you’ll be fine.