The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) has instructed telecommunications service providers in Sri Lanka to block access to 146 unlicensed gambling websites, according to the TRCSL Director General.

TRCSL Director General Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Bandula Herath said the measure was taken to curb illegal online gambling activities, with all telecommunications service providers instructed to block access to the relevant websites from Sri Lanka.

The regulatory action was taken following a notification issued by the Gambling Regulatory Authority, which operates under the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, in accordance with the provisions and powers of the Gambling Regulatory Authority Act, No. 17 of 2025.

The Authority stated that operating or promoting online gambling services in Sri Lanka without a valid licence, as stipulated under Sections 15, 16 and 18 of the Act, constitutes an offence punishable under Section 44 of the Act.

Meanwhile, Director General of Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Bandula Herath said that access to 24 betting websites was blocked yesterday while another 122 sites were blocked today. 

The Digital Economy Ministry on Wednesday announced that Sri Lanka had blocked access to 24 online betting sites, including some of the world’s largest betting sites, as part of a crackdown on unauthorised gambling.

Online gambling is legal in Sri Lanka, but operators must register with the authorities and pay licence fees.

The government had yesterday ordered local internet providers to bar access from Sri Lanka to 24 major gambling sites. The authorities also warned Sri Lankans that investing in those sites was illegal.

See below for the full list of blocked websites…