Banned Betting Sites Return In Sri Lanka As Regulation Stalls
Online betting and gambling websites that Sri Lankan authorities blocked last month for operating without a licence have returned to the market through new domain names, according to reporting by the Sunday Times of Sri Lanka, exposing gaps in the country's enforcement powers while its licensing framework remains unfinished.
In early August, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), acting under the Ministry of Digital Economy, blocked access to 24 websites it said had been "unlawfully providing online gambling and betting services without obtaining the required licences."
The action cited the Gambling Regulatory Authority Act No. 17 of 2025, under which providing or promoting unlicensed online gambling in Sri Lanka is a criminal offence.
Blocked operators included 1xBet, Betway, 22Bet, Dafabet, Bet365, BC.Game, Stake, Mostbet and Parimatch, among others.
How The Sites Got Back Online
Testing cited by the Sunday Times found that many of the blocked domains remained accessible from Sri Lankan internet connections within weeks.
Between mid-August and September 3, the number of blocked addresses still reachable through one major fixed-line provider rose from 18 to 44, and through a leading mobile 5G network from 21 to 28, as operators including 1xBet, 22Bet, Dafabet, BC.Game and Stake returned via new domain registrations.
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Licensing System Doesn't Exist Yet
The report highlights a structural problem: Sri Lanka's new Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) has yet to issue the regulations required to license online betting and gambling operators.
A self-imposed deadline for those regulations has slipped multiple times and is now reportedly targeted for December.
That means there is currently no mechanism by which an operator could apply for a licence, even though the law, in principle, allows licensed, regulated online gambling.
It also raises questions about why the online betting and gambling arms of licensed land-based operators, including Sporting Star, Bellagio, Bally's and Casino Marina, have been able to continue operating online throughout.
Until Sri Lanka's licensing regime is operational, there is no way for a player to verify that an online operator serving the market is doing so legally, and consumers using blocked or unlicensed sites have no formal recourse if disputes arise over withheld winnings or account issues.
