Tanzim Ahmed, a 23-year-old private university student in Dhaka, still remembers the night his debts started spiralling. It was just past midnight when he borrowed Tk20,000 from a friend, hoping to recover earlier losses on a live cricket bet. Within minutes, the money was gone.
What began as a game with friends during the Covid lockdown has now ruined his life. “I owe lakhs of taka. I hide it from my parents, and every day I feel trapped,” Tanzim bemoaned.
He became so addicted that he did not pay his semester fees for two consecutive terms. It was more than Tk1 lakh that he was supposed to pay as fees, but instead, he lost it in gambling.
Tanzim’s struggle is not uncommon. He is among thousands of young Bangladeshis who are being drawn into the fast-growing world of online betting. Government reports show that around 50 lakh Bangladeshis aged between 18-30 currently practice betting using mobile apps and social media groups.
Twenty-six-year-old food delivery man Arif admitted that online betting was draining his hard-earned money. “I spend more than half of my monthly income on these apps,” he said. “No matter how much I earn from deliveries, it slips away in minutes. At first, it felt like fun, but now it feels like I am working only to gamble.”
Faysal Ahmed Rafi, chief psychologist at Mindwizz, a non-profit providing mental health education and support, says he gets many young clients who are involved in betting or gambling.
He explains how the cycle begins: “It starts with the hope of a gain, taking a small risk and getting a big reward. Many youths in our society spend unproductive days due to unemployment and instability in the education system. With so much idle time, they often look for quick opportunities to gain big with small investments.”
Despite the longstanding Public Gambling Act of 1867, the absence of modern provisions to address online gambling has allowed hundreds of unregulated betting platforms to thrive. Many use encrypted apps and offshore servers, making it hard for authorities to act. These platforms also aggressively lure users with celebrity endorsements and flashy campaigns, targeting impressionable audiences online.
Bangladesh recently launched a crackdown under the Cyber Security Ordinance 2025. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has blocked over 2,600 gambling sites and frozen thousands of mobile financial accounts. Offenders face up to two years in jail or fines of Tk1 crore.
Md Shahjahan Hossain, deputy police commissioner of the City Cybercrime Investigation Division, said, “We conduct regular cyber patrols to identify agents involved in online betting. Once flagged, we track their IP addresses and take legal action.”
However, he acknowledged limitations: “There is not much we can do when the sites operate from abroad or use heavily encrypted channels.”
Experts warn that gambling addiction must be treated as a public health crisis, not merely a legal issue. Addiction is driving mental health disorders, family breakdowns, and even suicidal tendencies among young people.
Faysal Ahmed Rafi highlighted the role of families in addressing addiction. “Among youths, they do not usually come on their own. Their families approach us when they identify the problem, because when you are addicted, you often do not realise it yourself.”
He added that those in the early stages of addiction should identify the problem promptly and seek help. “Family, community, and institutions like schools and religious centres play a key role in providing support and raising awareness.”
Specialists urge the government to launch campaigns, set up rehab centres, and integrate education highlighting the hazards of gambling into schools. Without awareness and institutional support, the problem will only grow worse.
According to the Bangladesh Sports Betting Analysis 2025, cricket makes up 65% of the sports betting market in Bangladesh, while football makes up around 20%, and tennis and other sports account for a fraction.
Globally, the sports betting industry was worth $100.9 billion in 2024 and is expected to double by 2030, with Bangladesh being a key player in this transition.