Sri Lanka pushes back launch of gambling regulatory framework to 31 December following recent delays
Sri Lanka’s Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) is aiming to publish its long-awaited casino and online gambling regulations by 31 December after missing a series of earlier implementation targets.
According to local media outlet The Sunday Morning, GRA Director General Dr W.M.K.G.A. Wickramasinghe said the regulations are in the final stages of review following delays that saw the regulator miss both its original 30 June publication deadline and a subsequent target of becoming fully operational by 30 November. Wickramasinghe explained that the proposed regulations were initially prepared by an international advisory team before being referred to a review committee for assessment. The draft framework has since been returned to the GRA for finalization ahead of its planned release by year-end.
The delay comes amid growing concerns over the proliferation of illegal gambling across the country. Information provided to parliament recently revealed that there are six licensed casino operators in Sri Lanka of which five are currently operational, as well as 37 licensed sports betting and horse-racing operators. However, none of the online operators had been registered with the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) according to information passed on to a parliamentary Committee on Public Finance (COPF) at the time.
Improving tax collection across the industry is seen as a key reason for establishment of the GRA and introduction of the guidelines, with the IRD’s 2024 Annual Performance Report showing that the Government collected Rs 9.81 billion through the Betting and Gaming Levy and Rs 5.1 billion in casino license fees. As such, total collections from the two categories came to Rs 14.91 billion, or 0.57% of the department’s total reported revenue, in 204, according to The Sunday Morning’s report.
The Government has since increased taxes on gambling businesses, with the gross collection levy rising from 15% to 18% from 1 January 2026 for operators whose monthly gross collections exceed Rs 1 million. It has also doubled the casino entrance levy charged on Sri Lankan citizens from US$50 to US$100 per person.
Sri Lanka’s Gambling Regulatory Authority was established under the Gambling Regulatory Authority Act No. 17 of 2025, which came into effect on 1 December 2025 to create a unified framework for regulating casinos, betting and online gambling.
