Special Correspondent — A bill was introduced in Parliament on Saturday to amend the Cyber Security Act 2026, aiming to eliminate legal redundancies regarding online gambling and betting offenses.
The Cyber Security (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was placed by the Minister for Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, Fakir Mahbub Anam.
The proposed amendment seeks the absolute abolition of Section 20 of the existing law, which currently regulates and penalizes digital gambling operations.
Following its introduction, the draft bill was forwarded to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs via a voice vote presided over by Deputy Speaker Kaysar Kamal.
The committee has been directed to scrutinize the legislative proposal and submit its evaluation report within three working days.
Streamlining overlapping laws
According to the objectives and reasons attached to the bill, the Cyber Security Act was originally enacted in 2026 to ensure a safe, resilient, and secure cyberspace. Section 20 was integrated into the framework to address the rising challenges of digital gambling and online casinos.
However, the statement noted that the Ministry of Home Affairs has recently taken a comprehensive step toward tackling gambling comprehensively by initiating the separate Prevention of Gambling Act, 2026.
The legislative shift means that all forms of gambling, whether physical or digital, will now fall under the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry’s dedicated new act. Consequently, the amendment to the Cyber Security Act was proposed to prevent overlapping jurisdictions, eliminate potential legal contradictions, and streamline the prosecution process for law enforcement agencies.
With the Parliamentary Standing Committee set to report back within three days, the bill is expected to return to the floor swiftly for its final passage into law.