SL moves to regulate gambling sports with new draft legislation

Cabinet has granted approval this week to publish a draft bill aimed at establishing a new independent regulatory body for the gambling sports industry, signalling a major move towards formalising and supervising a growing and largely unregulated sector.

The draft legislation, the Gambling Sports Regularisation Act, was green lit at the Cabinet meeting held on 24 February 2025, and has since received clearance from the Attorney General. 

The proposed law paves the way for the creation of the Gambling Sports Regularisation Authority, which will oversee all gambling-related sports activities, including online betting and operations conducted offshore, particularly within ships and Colombo Port City.

According to the Department of Government Information, the new authority is expected to function as a “solo monitoring body with a broad and holistic subject arena,” tasked with ensuring compliance, regulating operations, and enhancing transparency within the sector.

The draft bill will be published in the government gazette shortly, following which it will be submitted to parliament for further debate and approval.

The move is a step towards mitigating illicit operations, and positioning Sri Lanka as a competitive jurisdiction for legalised gambling sports.