The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU)'s disclosure that suspicious financial transactions surged by 74 per cent in the 2024-25 fiscal year compared to the previous year has come as a shock. The sharp rise has been largely attributed to the rapid expansion of online gaming, betting and cryptocurrency-related activities. According to the BFIU's analysis of financial flows to and from Bangladesh, online gaming and related activities accounted for Tk 17.15 billion in debit transactions and Tk 16.73 billion in credit transactions during the last fiscal year. These figures underscore the alarming proliferation of online gambling despite the legal ban on it in the country.
The spread of online gaming addiction is equally widespread in the urban areas as well as the villages as millions of young men and women are falling prey to this deadly habit. The BFIU observed that every section of society---from salaried professionals to housewives, and from students to day labourers---has its own preferred form of online gaming or betting. It is like a supermarket, offering a wide variety of products to cater to different types of customers. Much of this illegal activity is reportedly facilitated through smartphone applications operated from abroad, while local agents manage financial transactions through mobile financial services and banking channels. The allure of quick money is the bait that draws countless people into these platforms. Initially, some may even experience small wins, fuelling the illusion of greater profitability ahead. The reality, however, is starkly different, as users end up losing substantial sums of money they usually borrow from near and dear ones. Thus, what begins as fun soon turns into addiction, leaving many trapped in a vicious cycle of debt and despair. The social consequences are equally disturbing. An increasing number of incidents of domestic violence, psychological disorders, and even suicides have reportedly been linked to gambling addiction.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised gaming disorder as a serious public health issue, underscoring the need to address behavioural addictions with the same seriousness as other public health challenges. Containing this growing menace, however, is far from easy. The government routinely blocks gambling websites, but new mobile applications and websites continue to emerge under different names as soon as existing ones are taken down. This cat-and-mouse game demonstrates that website blocking alone cannot effectively curb online gambling.
Closer cooperation with global technology companies, app store operators, and social media platforms is essential to identify and remove illegal gambling applications and advertisements. At the same time, stronger coordination among the BFIU, the BTRC, law enforcement agencies, the Bangladesh Bank, and mobile financial service providers is a prerequisite for detecting suspicious transactions, dismantle local networks and prosecute those facilitating these illegal operations. Individuals and organisations promoting gambling through social media should also be held accountable. Alongside continuous vigilance and regulatory measures, raising public awareness is imperative. Schools, colleges, universities, parents and religious scholars all have a role to play in educating young people about the devastating financial, psychological, and social consequences of gambling addiction. Counselling and rehabilitation services are equally important. Unless decisive action is taken now, online gambling will continue to erode families, lead many more young people astray and place an even greater burden on the nation's economy and public health.
