Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance (COPF), MP Harsha de Silva, has directed that a regulator be appointed to address the unchecked spread of online betting and casino advertisements across Sri Lanka. Speaking during a COPF session, de Silva questioned how such platforms were allowed to operate without licences or oversight, despite openly advertising during cricket matches. He noted that some online casinos were even using the Sri Lankan government logo in their promotions, claiming to be licensed operators. “Using the government’s logo they are telecasting online casinos for every ball in cricket matches. If no licence has been issued, then rewind and watch the last overs, you will see advertisements stating ‘licensed’ with the Sri Lanka logo. How is this happening? Who is approving this?” de Silva asked. He warned that the absence of regulation was creating a massive legal blind spot, with billions in potential tax revenue slipping away from the state. De Silva pressed officials to explain how online casino licences were being issued, or if not, why such advertisements were being allowed to continue unchecked. (Newswire) Online betting sites are advertising openly across Sri Lanka, yet they operate with zero regulation. How is this allowed? At our COPF session, I questioned officials on this massive legal blind spot and the billions in lost tax revenue bleeding from the state. Watch the full… pic.twitter.com/j97eEdWMqP — Harsha de Silva (@HarshadeSilvaMP) June 16, 2026
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