Bill Tabled to Remove Online Gambling Provision from Cyber Security Act 2026
The proposed amendment aims to avoid legal overlap as separate anti-gambling legislation moves forward
A new amendment bill has been introduced in the National Parliament seeking to revise the widely discussed Cyber Security Act, 2026 by removing provisions related to online gambling and betting offences.
The proposed amendment seeks to abolish Section 20 of the existing law, which currently defines offences and penalties relating to gambling activities conducted in cyberspace.
The bill was placed before Parliament on Saturday (June 27) by Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Fakir Mahbub Anam during a session chaired by Deputy Speaker Kaysar Kamal.
Following its introduction, the bill was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee related to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for further scrutiny. The committee has been instructed to submit its recommendations and a detailed report within three working days.
According to the statement of objectives attached to the bill, the Cyber Security Act, 2026 was originally enacted to ensure a safer and more secure digital environment. Section 20 specifically included provisions addressing online gambling, betting operations and related offences.
However, lawmakers argued that overlapping legal provisions may create complications in judicial proceedings. To address this issue, the Ministry of Home Affairs has already introduced a separate draft law titled the Gambling Prevention Act, 2026 to regulate and punish both online and offline gambling activities under a single legal framework.
Parliamentary sources said maintaining penalties for the same offence under two different laws could complicate prosecution and enforcement.
If passed, the amendment would allow the Cyber Security Act to focus more specifically on offences such as hacking, cyberattacks, data theft, digital fraud and other cyber-related crimes.
//DBTech/DM/EK//
