Crackdown on Cricket Gambling: Cricinfo Warned Over Online Betting Ads
Despite the recently enacted Cyber Security Ordinance 2025, which criminalizes online gambling, developing or promoting gambling apps or portals, illegal betting content continues to proliferate across digital platforms in Bangladesh.
Under the ordinance issued on May 21, involvement in online gambling or its promotion is punishable by up to two years of imprisonment, a fine of Tk 1 crore, or both. Sections 21 and 22 further prohibit financial transactions related to gambling and any form of fraud or deceit in gambling activities.
Yet, gambling advertisements persist—not only on anonymous platforms but also on well-known online media, television, and even billboards. While the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has repeatedly blocked various gambling-related links, the popular cricket portal Cricinfo continues to display such ads to Bangladeshi visitors.
In response, the Principal Adviser’s Special Assistant for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, stated that an official email has been sent to Cricinfo urging it to stop broadcasting gambling advertisements in Bangladesh. “If Cricinfo fails to respond to this email, the portal will face public backlash and may be blocked in Bangladesh through the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA),” Taiyeb warned.
In a Facebook post late on Monday, October 13, Taiyeb wrote, “Cricinfo.com currently runs the highest number of online gambling advertisements in Bangladesh’s cyberspace. Promotion of online gambling is strictly prohibited under Bangladesh’s Cyber Security Act 2025. Our study of Cricinfo’s advertising in Australia, England, and several other cricket-playing nations found a complete absence of gambling-related content there.”
He further stated, “The National Cyber Security Agency has already emailed Cricinfo regarding the issue. They will also send an official letter via registered post. By illegally promoting gambling, Cricinfo is violating Bangladeshi law, and neither before nor after the enactment of the ordinance has the company paid any tax or VAT on income generated from such advertisements.”
The Special Assistant added that the NCSA will seek public opinion on whether Cricinfo should be blocked in Bangladesh if it continues to promote gambling.
Meanwhile, under the new ordinance, the government has already identified and taken legal action against over 1,100 mobile financial service (MFS) agents involved in gambling transactions. The Posts and Telecommunications Division reaffirmed that the crackdown on online gambling will continue, targeting not only direct and indirect participants but also professionals, advertising agencies, media buyers, and both advertisers and publishers in print and electronic media.
Additionally, citizens have been advised to report complaints related to online gambling to [email protected].
