Casino Gambling in Dhaka

Even though Bangladesh is a predominantly Islamic country, it may surprise you to learn that you can still engage in casino gambling in Dhaka or any other major city. The gambling scenario in Bangladesh is slightly complicated.

For example, the Public Gambling Act of 1867 and Article 18 (2) of the Bangladeshi constitution prohibit gambling. However, there is no enforceable legislation against the importation of casino-related items.

Recently, the Bangladesh government sanctioned a raid on about 60 illegal casinos in Dhaka and arrested as many as 275 people in the process, including prominent government officials. But while land-based casino operation in Bangladesh is mainly frowned upon, punters can satisfy their gaming urges via online casino gambling.  

Individuals can sign up with casino platforms that accept Bangladesh players offering a variety of casino games, dynamic payment options, and a highly responsive customer support service.

This post briefly highlights the history and legality of casinos in Dhaka, Bangladesh. We also provide tips on finding the best real money online casinos for Bangladesh players. We then highlight the top five gaming platforms for Bangladeshi punters.

The History and Legality of Casino Gambling in Dhaka, Bangladesh  

Bangladesh gained its independence from Pakistan in 1973. So the history of casino gambling in independent Bangladesh is relatively short. However, some of the gambling laws that are in place in neighbouring India were adopted by Bangladesh.

The Public Gambling Act of 1867 is a typical example of Bangladesh adopting the gambling laws of India. This act which is also included in the Bangladesh constitution- prohibits the set-up and operation of land-based casinos in Bangladesh. Still, this law does not prohibit the operations of online casinos.

Understandably, an 1867 gambling law does not cover online casino gambling. However, over time the act has been amended to exclude lotteries. Lotteries are not seen as a form of gambling in Bangladesh.

In addition to permitting lotteries, the act was further amended to exclude bets on horse racing. Today Bangladeshi punters can place wagers on live horse racing events held locally or abroad.

As a highly religious country with most of the populace of Islamic faith, there is a great resentment towards the operation of brick-and-mortar casinos and gambling houses in Bangladesh. But leaders of the ruling party in Bangladesh had for a long time been complicit in the activities of illegal land-based casinos in Dhaka and other major cities in Bangladesh.

Many government officials are known to be on the payroll of illicit casinos and gambling houses. The September 18, 2019 raid on illegal casinos operating in sports clubs around Dhaka exposed the level of corruption in the ruling party.

Another surprising development is that importing casino-related materials into Bangladesh is not illegal. It also enabled casino owners to set up and run illicit casinos largely unnoticed in Bangladesh.

There is no law against the operations of online casinos, provided the headquarters of these casinos are based abroad. Online casinos accepting players from Bangladesh are fully aware of this fact.

They take advantage of the gambling law to attract new customers from a vast population. Bangladesh is one of the most populated countries globally, and many offshore internet casinos are keen to have a share of the potentially huge gaming market. 

What to look out for in Finding the Best Bangladesh Online Casinos

If you want to start playing slots, table games, live casinos, and sportsbooks in Bangladesh, your best choice is online. But you should not rush to sign up with just any online casino that comes your way.

Before you register with any casino, you should check the site for the following:

• Licensing: The casino should be duly licensed. An iGaming sub-license by the government of Curaçao is a highly reputable one.

• Security: Licensing is one form of security, but the casino should also offer safety to your confidential data, including private details and financial information. Top internet casinos make use of sophisticated firewalls and 128-bit SSL encryption technology.

• Banking Methods: Online casinos that accept punters from Bangladesh offer flexible and convenient banking methods. Some of the well-known banking methods for Bangladeshi punters include Skrill, Paysafecard, Neteller, Maestro, Bank Wire Transfer, Visa Card, and MasterCard. The casino should also accept payment and withdrawals in Bangladesh takas. Other than that, mobile payment platform like BKASH also one of the famous banking method in Bangladesh.

• Casino Games: The online casino should provide you with a host of real money casino games from your playing and winning pleasure. These casino games should include video slots, cards, table, and live casino games. You should also know if the iGaming site offers sports betting like cricket, football, horse racing, etc. 

• User-interface (UI): The UI of the casino should be intuitive and interactive. Check if you can access the online casino platform in your preferred language.

Top 5 Online Casinos in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Highlighted below are the top 5 online casinos accepting punters from Bangladesh:

• Bet365: Bet365 is a sportsbook with many video slots and live casino games. Bangladeshi players can sign up with Bet365 today and grab a welcome bonus. The available banking methods are Visa, MasterCard, Astropay, Paysafecard, Skrill, Neteller, Maestro, and Bank Wire Transfer.

• Betway: This is an internationally renowned iGaming site launched in 2002. They accept punters from Bangladesh and offer a highly intuitive mobile app UI. Betway is home to many online casino games and sports betting activities.

• Babu88: Bangladesh online casino players can sign up with Babu88 for a welcome bonus offer of a 100 percent deposit match up.

This gaming platform offers many slots, poker, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, and live casino gambling games on a simplistic UI with cool site features.

• Megapari: Bangladeshi casino players can register with Megapari today for a chance of getting a 100 percent deposit match welcome bonus.

If you want to deposit or withdraw funds in cryptocurrency, you can do so on Megapari. In addition, the site uses 128-bit SSL encryption technology to help secure your personal and financial data.

• 1xBet: 1xBet is hugely popular in South East Asia, and players in Bangladesh are not left out. You can navigate the site in the Bengali language and many other languages. This casino platform has an interactive UI and offers a variety of payment options, including cryptocurrency, for your convenience.  

In Conclusion

Bangladesh may not be a place where brick-and-mortar casino thrives, but it is a country where online casino gambling is flourishing. The Bangladesh government may frown against land-based casinos, but they certainly are not against online gambling. You can sign up with different iGaming sites to enjoy juicy welcome bonuses to play various casino games and place bets on multiple sports betting events.