Sri Lanka’s New Gambling Act Comes Into Force, Introducing New Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA)

On September 3, Speaker of the House Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne assented to the Bill, which came into force as the Gaming Regulation Act No. 17 of 2025.

Earlier, the Sri Lankan Parliament unanimously passed the Gaming Regulation Bill, which provides for the establishment of an independent agency to oversee all regulated gaming activities in the country. The Bill also repeals several outdated but existing laws: the Horse Racing Betting Act, the Gaming Act, and the Casino Act.

The new regulator has been created to modernize and simplify the legal framework, which had overlapping functions and gaps that prevented effective oversight. The agency will oversee the entire gaming sector, from casinos to horse racing betting. Its main functions will be to oversee compliance with regulations, combat illegal gambling operators, and prevent money laundering through the industry. The GRA will comprise the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, the Commissioner General of Revenue, the Head of the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Inspector General of Police or their representatives. The Minister of Finance will also appoint three members to serve for a term of three years.