Director General Dr. W.M.K.G.A. Wickramasinghe said the rules, drafted by an international advisory team, had been through a review committee and were back with the GRA to be finalized. The authority was set up under the Gambling Regulatory Authority Act No. 17 of 2025, which came into force on December 1, 2025, bringing all forms of gambling under one regulator.
At a parliamentary committee session in July, Inland Revenue Department officials said Sri Lanka had six licensed casino operators, five of them active, and 37 licensed sports betting and horse-racing operators, but no registered online casino operators.
Dr. Harsha de Silva, Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance, said:
“Every day, millions and tens of millions, probably hundreds of millions of tax money is not being paid to the State, and the State is just looking the other way.”
Sri Lanka collected Rs. 14.91 billion from the betting and gaming levy and casino license fees in 2024. Since then, the gross collection levy has risen from 15% to 18% for larger operators, and the casino entry levy for citizens has doubled to $100.
