According to the "Sri Lanka Mirror", the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) in Sri Lanka has approved the bill to establish the Gambling Regulatory Authority, paving the way for the country to set up an independent gambling regulatory body. The meeting was chaired by parliamentarian Rauff Hakeem, acting as the chairman of the committee in place of Hasha De Silva. The bill had been discussed several times before it was finally passed.
The new authority will become the main regulatory body for gambling and gaming nationwide, aimed at regulating industry operations, reducing social harm, and fully realizing the potential contributions of the gambling industry to tourism and the overall economy. Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe, parliamentarians Ravi Karunanayake, Dr. Kaushalya Ariyaratne, and lawyers Lakmali Hemachandra, Nishantha Jayaweera, among others, attended the meeting.
On the same day, the committee also passed other financial measures, including resolutions on import duties, excise orders, and luxury car tax regulations, which have been published in the special gazette on April 28, 2025.
The establishment of the Gambling Regulatory Authority marks the first time Sri Lanka has a centralized agency specifically managing the gambling industry, covering industry regulation, social risk control, tourism promotion, and economic support, representing a strategically significant policy initiative.
