Bangladesh online casinos for Real Money

Firstly, as discussed, the South Asian country is a predominantly Muslim nation, and according to the Qu’ran, gambling is strictly forbidden. It is unlawful for Muslims to gain wealth by gambling, and according to Islamic teachings, Muslims can’t gamble for recreational purposes, either. That puts paid to any hope of Bangladesh legalising most forms of gambling, never mind online gambling. However, there are still grey zones and loopholes.

The very first Public Gambling Act of 1867 banned all forms of gambling save for lotteries and horse betting. The law also excludes “games of pure skill”, although it is not clear what they are. This, coupled with Bangladesh’s desire not to crack down on gambling, means that there are avenues for gambling open to Bangladeshis should they choose to take it. For instance, the most severe penalty yet handed out was a small US dollar fine or a three-month jail term. Compared to some of the strict penalties in other Muslim countries, this is seen as lenient.

There are no legal or licensed gambling establishments in Bangladesh. However, a grey zone comes in the form of online gambling sites. Let’s look at those next.

Bangladesh’s gambling laws date back over a hundred and fifty years. Moreover, any amendments that have been made since do not mention internet gambling. Therefore, online gambling falls into a legal grey zone.

Technically, it is not illegal to gamble at online betting sites because they are not “gambling establishments” but digital domains. This should see players wriggle free of any penalties, although the overarching Islamic law about no gambling (if any way, shape, or form) still comes into play.

Because of these two contrasting viewpoints (or laws, if you will), Bangladesh has chosen to take things leniently with players who have been caught, especially when it comes to online gambling in the South Asian country.

It is worth pointing out that some elements of the old 1867 law remain in play. For instance, while sports betting is not permitted in a general sense, wagering on horses still is. So, too is betting on lottery games.

Horse race events are run by Suhrawardy Udyan (previously Ramna Racecourse), with betting done at the track. Meanwhile, the lottery is run by the Bank of Bangladesh.

Most Bangladeshis do not engage in gambling, so it is tricky to find a list of the most popular gambling games among the population. However, we can say for sure that since wagering on horses and lotteries is still permitted in Bangladesh; there is clearly still a market for that. Unfortunately, it is not known how many Bangladeshi players regularly wager on horse racing or get involved in the country’s lottery games. However, we’d wager it is probably higher than you might expect, and not limited to the country’s Hindu, Buddhist, or Christian populations, either.

As for offshore betting sites, it is possible to get an idea of what Bangladeshis like to play based on what sorts of games the casinos and sportsbooks offer. Football and cricket betting are two of those options, while casino games tend to revolve around poker and blackjack. It is likely that these are the “games of pure skill” mentioned earlier in the original 1867 law, but that remains a point of conjecture.

There is no such thing as a Bangladeshi casino, at least, no such sites that cater to citizens and that are based in Bangladesh. Instead, the only Bangladeshi casinos out there are based offshore and run by foreign operators. Not all accept Bangladeshi players, but many of them do.

When considering a Bangladesh-facing casino, we strongly encourage players to use a payment option that offers anonymity and to play at a casino that doesn’t have an intensive or invasive KYC process. Ideally, you may even want to use a VPN to play at those casinos. This all helps keep your identity (and location) private in a country where you really shouldn’t be gambling. Of course, we must stress that we do not advocate gambling at all in Bangladesh. However, if you choose to do so, we do suggest you’re smart about it.