Content Writer: Janice Chew • Friday, 25/10/2025 - 16:09:37 - PM
Sri Lanka’s government has announced that it plans to have its newly proposed Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) up and running by June 2026, marking an effort to bring coherence and oversight to the country’s fragmented gambling sector. The legislative groundwork is already in motion: in August 2025, Parliament passed a revised gambling bill that consolidates earlier statutes covering casinos, betting, and horse racing, and empowers the GRA to regulate and license all gaming activities, monitor compliance, and enforce anti-money laundering rules.
While the establishment of the GRA is widely seen as a response to the opening of City of Dreams Sri Lanka, the country’s first integrated casino resort, critics have raised doubts about the regulator’s independence. Advocata Institute, a Colombo think tank, argues that too much power is vested in the Finance Ministry, including hiring powers, directive authority, and budgetary control, potentially undermining the GRA’s ability to act impartially. Others also point out that the bill omits clear oversight of junket operators—the intermediaries often used to attract high-stakes players—a gap that could create loopholes in regulation.
The government defends the plan as a necessary step not only to manage gambling risks but also to bolster tourism and foreign investment. But analysts warn that the success of the GRA will hinge not on deadlines, but on credibility, operational autonomy, and robust enforcement. If structural issues aren’t addressed early, Sri Lanka risks replicating regulatory weaknesses seen elsewhere in the region, eroding investor confidence and undermining the very integrity the GRA is meant to guarantee.