The Sri Lankan government has directed all telecommunications service providers to block access to 24 major online gambling websites operating without proper licensing, as part of a regulatory crackdown on unauthorised betting platforms.
Sri Lanka's Ministry of Digital Economy announced the blocking of 24 unlicensed online gambling websites, effective immediately. The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) issued directives to all telecommunications service providers to implement the access restrictions, acting on a request from the Gambling Regulatory Authority under the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
The action follows provisions established in the Gambling Regulatory Authority Act, No. 17 of 2025. According to Sri Lankan law, operating or promoting online gambling services without a valid licence from the regulatory authority constitutes a breach of Section 44 of the legislation. Operators seeking to provide such services must obtain licences under Sections 15, 16, and 18 of the Act and pay the required fees.
The blocked platforms include some of the world's largest betting sites, such as bet365.com, stake.com, betway.com, 1xbet.com, and 22bet.com, among others. The complete list comprises 24 websites spanning various international gambling operators. Alongside the technical blocks, authorities have cautioned the public against using or investing money in unauthorised gambling platforms, warning that such activity violates Sri Lanka's legal framework for online gambling.
