TLDR Sri Lanka’s gambling regulator now aims to publish casino and online gambling rules by December 31. The authority missed its earlier June 30 deadline after more vetting of the draft. The rules will cover licensing, fees, online gambling, and anti-money laundering controls. Parliament must approve the rules within three months of publication. A lawmaker says the delay is leaving tax revenue uncollected.
Sri Lanka’s Gambling Regulatory Authority now plans to publish its casino and online gambling rules by December 31. The authority missed its earlier deadline of June 30.
The new date also falls after November 30, when the authority had planned to become fully operational. GRA Director General Wickramasinghe told The Sunday Morning that the rules were being finalized.
An international advisory team prepared the draft rules. A committee then reviewed the draft and returned it to the authority for completion.
What the First Rules Will Cover
The first package is expected to cover licensing and fees, online gambling, and anti-money laundering controls. It will also include a ministerial order listing which types of gambling are allowed under the law.
In July, the GRA said the delay was due to further vetting of the draft. The latest update shows the proposals are back with the authority after committee review, but they have not yet been published.
Publishing the rules will not finish the process. Under the Gambling Regulatory Authority Act, the regulations must also go to Parliament for approval within three months of publication.
The December deadline covers only the publication of the rules. Parliamentary approval is a separate legal step and was not completed through the committee’s review of the draft.
Sri Lanka’s Gambling Regulatory Authority has set 31 December 2026 as the deadline for casino, betting and online gambling regulations after