Betting, especially sports betting, has been prevalent since a very long time. Historical data suggests that the Greeks used to bet on sports ever since the Olympics began, and the Romans used to bet on Gladiators fights. Modern day sports betting is a multi-billion dollar industry.
While betting is legal in many countries, there are some Asian countries like India and Bangladesh, where betting laws are very complicated, especially online betting. There are many online bookmakers like Bet365 India, which cater to players from such countries. So, Is Bet365 legal in Bangladesh?
Is bet365 legal in Bangladesh?
Before answering that question, let’s have a look at the current betting and gambling laws of Bangladesh
Public Gambling Act of 1867
Like India, Bangladesh inherited this law from the British. More than 150 years old, the law passed on after independence of East Pakistan, and subsequently, Bangladesh. Under this law, all types of betting and gambling was deemed to be illegal and publishable. In 1973, two years after gaining independence from Pakistan, the law was slightly modified to allow lotteries and horse race betting.
Although being declared as a secular country by the constitution, Bangladesh is a predominantly Islamic country, and betting is considered to be `haram´. All other forms of betting were still considered to be illegal. Violators can face imprisonment of up to a month, and a fine of 100 taka.
Rise of online gambling
The increased penetration of Internet, and popularity of smartphones has seen a surge in number of players looking to bet online. While betting shops are strictly illegal, the laws are pretty loose and vague when it comes to online betting. As of now, players from Bangladesh can access Bet365, which is a UK based online bookmaker, and place bets on their favorite sports. In case players cannot access the site directly, there are many mirror sites which direct the players to bet365.
