SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka is a controversial but active Tier 3 gambling market in South Asia. The country has a model of partial restrictions: terrestrial casinos are legal and focused mainly on tourists, while online casinos are not officially regulated and actually work through foreign platforms.

The Sri Lankan market is characterized by the high popularity of cricket betting, the active growth of mobile Internet, a steady interest in slots and crash games, as well as the gradual digitalization of the payment infrastructure.

Online casinos in Sri Lanka

Online casinos in Sri Lanka do not formally have a national license, but foreign platforms are actively used by local audiences.

Lack of national licensing of online casinos.
Massive use of offshore platforms.
High demand for slots and crash games.
Mobile traffic dominance.
Growing interest from youth audiences.

The online segment is developing in the "gray zone," but shows stable growth.

Land-based casinos and gaming halls

Land gambling in Sri Lanka is legal and primarily targeted at tourists.

Legal casinos in Colombo and tourist areas.
Roulette, card games and slot machines.
Casinos at hotels and resorts.
Targeting foreign players.
Age limit 21 +.

Offline casinos form a significant part of the country's legal turnover.

Sports betting and betting

Sports betting is one of the most popular gambling destinations in Sri Lanka.

• Cricket (overall leader).
• Football.
• Tennis.
• Basketball.
• Esports.

Cricket forms the bulk of bookmaking turnover.

Regulation and licences

Gambling regulation in Sri Lanka is partially fragmented.

Legal land-based casinos under individual licenses.
Lack of full regulation of online casinos.
State control of the land sector.
Tax regulation of offline gambling.
Limited oversight of the online segment.

The legal model remains patchy and transitional.

Payment methods

Sri Lanka is actively developing digital and mobile payment solutions.

Bank cards.
Online bank transfers.
Mobile wallets.
Electronic payments.
Gradual use of cryptocurrencies.

Mobile payments are becoming the main online deposit tool.

Popular games and formats

• Cricket betting.
• Video slots.
• Crash games.
• Live betting.
• Card games.

Fast formats with instant results show the greatest growth.

Mobile gambling

Sri Lanka is an actively growing mobile gambling market.

Mass use of smartphones.
Active development of mobile Internet.
Games and browser betting.
Instant online deposits.
Young digital audience.

The mobile segment forms the bulk of all digital traffic in the market.

Advertising and responsible play

Gambling advertising in Sri Lanka is limited and only partially permitted for the terrestrial sector.

Limiting casino advertising.
Prohibition of aggressive online promotion.
Offline marketing control.
Lack of developed responsible play programs.
Partial government oversight.

The advertising model remains low-key and locally focused.

Why Sri Lanka is a Tier 3 market

• legal land-based casinos for tourists;
• lack of clear regulation of online casinos;
• cricket's cult popularity;
• growth of mobile payments;
• sustainable use of offshore platforms.

Sri Lanka is a transitional Tier 3 gambling market with a legal terrestrial sector and actively growing online traffic through overseas platforms. Cricket betting, crash games and slots in the mobile format dominate here. For operators, this is a moderate growth market with a gray online model, for players - access to bets, casino games and modern mobile payment solutions.