Collected PhotoThe expansion of online gambling in Bangladesh has evolved beyond youth entertainment into a widespread shadow economy involving diverse professions, according to official reports and law enforcement data.
A report released in January by the General Economics Division (GED) of the Planning Commission noted that nearly 10 million people in the country are affected by online gambling. The GED warned that without effective measures, this figure could exceed 20 million by 2027, with risks doubling within 12 to 18 months. The GED estimated the illegal market size at $62 million to $68 million, growing at an annual rate of 4.7% to 6.1%, with over 1,000 transaction agents identified.
A recent report by the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) revealed that bank accounts linked to online betting recorded BDT 1,715 crore in debit and BDT 1,673 crore in credit transactions in the 2024–25 fiscal year. Salaried professionals accounted for the highest volume with BDT 641 crore in debit and BDT 642 crore in credit. Homemakers ranked second with BDT 371 crore in debit and BDT 347 crore in credit, followed by the agriculture and fisheries sector with BDT 231 crore in debit and BDT 232 crore in credit, and students with BDT 194 crore in debit and BDT 175 crore in credit.
"A massive underground market for cryptocurrency trading is active in Bangladesh," said Md. Sakhawat Hossain, Assistant Professor and former Chairman of the Department of Criminology and Police Science at Chittagong University. "Funds entering MFS through fraud are rapidly converted into cryptocurrency with the help of local agents. While the government monitors formal banking channels, this 'shadow economy' has become an ideal medium for foreign nationals to launder money."
Law enforcement agencies have intensified crackdowns across major cities to dismantle the underlying SIM-based technological infrastructure. On September 10, police in Khulshi, Chittagong, detained 62 foreign nationals from China, Pakistan, Laos, and Vietnam, seizing over 70 electronic devices. In Cox's Bazar, authorities uncovered a network of 250 to 300 Chinese nationals operating from rented hotels and seized extensive communication equipment linked to digital casinos, fake trading sites, and hacking.
In Dhaka, a May operation in Uttara and Turag resulted in the arrest of nine individuals, including six Chinese nationals, and the seizure of 300 GSM/GPRS SIM-module machines, 280 SIM cards, and 20 smartphones. An August raid in the Bhatara area recovered over 6,000 active SIM cards and 20 gateway devices, leading to the arrest of four individuals, including three Chinese nationals operating a job-scam gambling ring.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has also documented the expansion of online casinos across South-East Asia, noting that easy access to technology allows operations to run with low capital requirements.
"There is no alternative to upgrading technological capabilities and bringing illegal foreign nationals residing in Bangladesh under the law to counter these activities," said Dr. Muhammad Omar Faruq, Criminologist and Professor at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University.
FP/A
