Compulsive online gambling poses a risk to the youth in rural areas, snaring them with its destructive allure.
In the heart of Bangladesh's rural communities, an unsettling trend is emerging. Adolescents and youths, often seeking solace in the afternoons, are increasingly found engrossed in mobile screens, not interacting with nature or their peers, but rather, playing online games and participating in digital betting activities.
This digital revolution, however, comes with a dark side. Many village youths are reportedly addicted to digital betting sites, as per interviews. These platforms, operating illegally through foreign servers, are flooding rural Bangladesh, and some of the most popular ones include 1xBet, Melbet, Nagad88, Crickex, Jeetbuzz, Betwinner, 22Bet, Mostbet, and Betjili.
These apps, often with Bangla interfaces and local mobile banking payment channels, are designed to trap rural youths in cycles of debt and addiction. One such victim is an unemployed village youth named Shihab, who initially earned around Tk1,000 per day from these digital betting and gambling sites. However, his fortune soon turned sour. Shihab eventually lost around Tk10 lakh and could not repay his debt.
The operators of the betting sites demanded more money to release Shihab's prize, trapping him further in a vicious cycle. This is a common tactic used by these platforms, encouraging repeated betting in hopes of recouping losses, leading to deeper financial distress and social issues.
The legal framework in Bangladesh, including the Cyber Security Act 2023, is currently insufficient to combat these problems effectively. Experts emphasize the need for specialized laws to criminalize these platforms' operations and hold social media accountable for the propagation of illicit advertisements.
Rural youth are disproportionately targeted due to economic vulnerability, limited digital literacy, and aggressive online promotion, resulting in significant social harm and financial exploitation. The easy accessibility of mobile phones and the internet in rural areas has turned online gambling into a form of digital addiction.
Moreover, there are many fake versions of popular betting websites, known as phishing sites, that look identical to the original platforms. Victims often fail to spot the difference and invest money in these scams, with no chance of withdrawal.
The participation in or promotion of online gambling is considered a criminal offence according to Section 20 of the Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025. However, some celebrities, such as actress Nusraat Faria and cricketer Shakib Al Hasan, have lent their faces and voices to betting platforms, adding to the problem.
Digital addiction is taking root in rural communities, leading to declining physical activity and increased exposure to online risks. Half of rural preschoolers in Bangladesh already display signs of smartphone addiction. It is crucial to raise awareness about the dangers of online gambling and promote digital literacy among rural youth to combat this growing issue.
- In the heart of rural Bangladesh, youths are found to be addicted to digital betting sites like 1xBet, Melbet, Nagad88, Crickex, Jeetbuzz, Betwinner, 22Bet, Mostbet, and Betjili, which are reportedly flooding these communities and trapping young individuals in cycles of debt and addiction.
- The easy accessibility of mobile phones and the internet in rural areas has turned online gambling into a form of digital addiction for many youths, leading to significant social harm and financial exploitation. It is essential to raise awareness about the dangers of online gambling and promote digital literacy among this vulnerable group to combat this growing issue.
