Sri Lanka Parliament committee approves Gambling Regulatory Authority Bill

The Committee on Public Finance has officially approved the Bill to establish the Gambling Regulatory Authority in Sri Lanka.

The decision was made during the committee meeting held on 12 August 2025, chaired by Member of Parliament Rauf Hakeem, who served as acting chairperson in place of Dr. Harsha de Silva, currently overseas.

The Bill, which has been reviewed multiple times by the committee, seeks to create an independent body to regulate gambling and betting activities across the country.

Its objectives include standardizing betting and gaming establishments, reducing social harm linked to gambling, supporting tourism development, and boosting economic growth.

In addition to the Gambling Regulatory Authority Bill, the committee also approved a resolution under Section 10 of the Customs Ordinance (Chapter 235) concerning import duties, published in Gazette No. 2434/02 on 28 April 2025. An order under Section 3 of the Excise (Special Provisions) Act, No. 13 of 1989, published in Gazette No. 2434/04 on the same date, and a regulation under Section 19 and Section 51 of the Finance Act, No. 35 of 2018, regarding luxury tax on motor vehicles, published in Gazette No. 2434/05, were also approved.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe and Members of Parliament Ravi Karunanayake, Dr. Kaushalya Ariyaratne, Attorney-at-Law Lakmali Hemachandra, and Nishantha Jayaweera.