Sri Lanka is poised to introduce a new era of gaming oversight after its parliamentary Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) officially endorsed a Bill to establish a dedicated Gambling Regulatory Authority.
This landmark decision paves the way for the creation of the country’s first-ever independent, centralized body to manage and control the entire betting and gaming sector.
The Bill received its final approval at a CoPF meeting on August 12, 2025, after undergoing multiple rounds of discussion, signaling a significant policy modernization for the nation.
The new authority is designed with a comprehensive, dual-purpose mandate. While its primary function will be to serve as the principal regulator for all gaming establishments, lawmakers have stressed that its objectives extend beyond simple control.
The framework is intended to strategically maximize the gaming industry’s potential benefits for Sri Lanka’s crucial tourism sector and the wider national economy.
This positions the new body as an entity focused on both regulation and sustainable development. Its responsibilities will include standardizing industry operations, implementing measures to minimize social harm, actively encouraging tourism, and ensuring the sector contributes positively to economic growth.
The establishment of the Gambling Regulatory Authority represents a pivotal moment, transitioning the country away from fragmented oversight toward a modern, unified regulatory framework.
The CoPF meeting, chaired by acting chair Rauff Hakeem, also saw the approval of several other financial measures related to import duties, excise taxes, and luxury vehicle taxes, indicating a period of proactive fiscal policymaking.
The creation of this new authority marks a definitive step toward structuring the country’s gaming industry to align with international standards, balancing robust control with clear economic and developmental goals for the future
