Sri Lanka’s gambling culture is old, varied and quietly contested. Wagering has long been part of the island’s life, from colonial-era lotteries and horse racing to village card games, while the modern face of the industry is a cluster of Colombo casinos aimed largely at tourists and high rollers. Yet gambling sits uneasily against a Buddhist-majority moral outlook: the state licenses and taxes it for revenue, but expansion regularly draws opposition from parts of the clergy, and rules keep casinos away from religious and residential areas.

A long history of wagering

Gambling in Sri Lanka predates modern regulation. Traditional pastimes and informal betting have long featured in local life. Under British colonial administration, ordinances were introduced to bring gaming, lotteries and betting under control, and many of Sri Lanka’s gambling laws trace back decades. The framework was overhauled by the Gambling Regulatory Authority Act of 2025, which consolidated the older ordinances into one regulator.

For most Sri Lankans, gambling means the state lotteries. The government-owned National Lotteries Board (NLB) and Development Lotteries Board (DLB) run widely played draws whose proceeds fund public and development programmes, giving lotteries a semi-official, socially accepted status.

Beyond lotteries, wagering shows up in several forms:

  • Casino table games (roulette, blackjack, baccarat), poker and slots in Colombo’s licensed venues, patronised heavily by foreign visitors.
  • Horse-race betting, historically licensed and long part of the sporting calendar.
  • Cricket and sports betting, reflecting the national passion for cricket.
  • Traditional village card games such as Buruwa (also called ‘Booruwa’), a Sinhala card game played for stakes especially around festivals and the Sinhala/Tamil New Year.

Attitudes and the Buddhist dimension

Sri Lanka is a Buddhist-majority country, and Buddhist teaching treats gambling as a cause of harm and heedlessness. That moral backdrop shapes public debate: casino expansion, and the arrival of large integrated resorts, has drawn criticism from parts of the clergy and some politicians. The state’s response has been to permit and tax regulated gambling for tourism and revenue while limiting its social footprint, keeping casinos away from religious and densely populated areas.

The modern casino era

The clearest sign of the industry’s modern ambitions is City of Dreams Sri Lanka in Colombo, a Melco Resorts and John Keells Holdings integrated resort that opened in 2025 as one of South Asia’s first fully integrated casino resorts, operating under a long-term casino licence. It joins established Colombo venues such as Bally’s, Bellagio and Casino Marina. All of these are now transitioning to oversight by the new Gambling Regulatory Authority, which is intended to bring casinos, betting and digital gambling under a single, more transparent framework.

Safer gambling

Sri Lanka Sumithrayo’s Mel Medura programme now addresses behavioural addictions including gambling and offers free, confidential support in Colombo on 011 2 694 665. Sri Lanka Sumithrayo, a Befrienders Worldwide member, provides trilingual emotional support.

18+ only. Gambling can be addictive. Play responsibly.

Sources