From January 1, 2026, Sri Lanka doubled casino entry fees for gamblers who are residents of the country, increasing the price from $50 to $100.Initially, the reforms...
Sri Lanka’s Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) has instructed the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRCSL) to order service providers to immediately block access to 24 gambling websites operating in the country without licenses.
The enforcement action marks one of the biggest restrictions against illegal gambling platforms in Sri Lanka, with the list of blocked operators including major names like Betfair, bet365, Stake, Dafabet, Melbet, Parimatch, 1Win, 22Bet, BC.Game, Unibet, Mostbet, and BetWinner.
The gambling regulatory body, which was created under the Ministry of Finance in December 2025, issued the directive under its Act No. 17 of 2025.
The Ministry shared in a statement:
“All telecom service providers have been ordered to implement the ban with immediate effect.”
Despite the bans, the government reassured that online gambling is still allowed in Sri Lanka; however, it must be offered and conducted only by licensed operators. Authorities further urged users not to engage with gambling products offered by illegal companies, and warned against depositing any funds to such operators.
The website blocks come at a time when the country is in the process of tightening control on the gambling sector, as well as increasing tax collection and fighting against offshore gambling. On the other hand, the regulatory authority hasn’t yet launched its full operations, as a Director General and other executive positions haven’t been filled, missing the June 30, 2026, deadline.
