Online casinos accepting players from Sri Lanka

The internet is a normal thing in well-developed countries nowadays, an integral part of people’s lifestyles. People closely rely on the internet for just about everything: finding recipes, digging out information about certain things, communicating with long-distance family and friends, listening to music, and of course, playing games, among other things. 

In addition ever since the dawn of the internet, people have been using it to access online casinos. Gambling went online the minute the internet appeared so that it would become more accessible to people, and more convenient. 

But the thing is…

… not all countries around the world have access to the internet. There are such where the government forbids the use of the internet and such which are so undeveloped that internet penetration is impossible there. 

Sri Lanka is one such country, partly due to the government’s conservative sentiment, partly due to the economy. Some people simply do not have access to the internet in the country. But those that have, they have unlimited access to it. 

In terms of online gambling players from Sri Lanka can most certainly access online casinos. These casinos won't be national, but international sites. Why? Because gambling in the country has been a real roller-coaster. 

Land-based gambling… 

… in the country has been legal in the past, but really low-key. Several establishments existed for which operators would pay taxes and that’s all. Gambling was never fully regulated in the country. 

However in 2010, the Sri Lankan Parliament finally passed a Bill to fully regulate gambling. The Bill was passed not because of the country’s desire to make it possible for its citizens to gamble, but because Sri Lanka needed an immediate tourism boost. The need for tourism revival was evident in the country, mostly because of the three-decade-long civil war. 

The Bill was, though, in contrast with the conservative social measures taken in the country by the then-government. Nevertheless, a large majority of the Parliament passed the Bill. 

With the legal change it was expected the tourism in the country to spike by five times. However, the main opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said the move was made to help the government’s friends operate casinos. 

Since the government was responsible to handle the licensing, a minister had the powers to create geographical zones where gambling companies could be set up. However, those that attempted to operate without a license were subject to fines, of up to five years in prison. 

Nine years later…

… the government introduced new changes that would help it boost revenue. These changes were announced by Mangala Samaraweera, Sri Lanka’s Finance Minister. While previously operators needed to pay an annual license fee of $1.1 million, which was later on increased to $2.2 million, as of the 1st of April, 2019, they were supposed to pay 15% in taxes on gambling turnover, too. 

Moreover the government obliged casinos to collect an entry fee of $50 from every single person that enters, per visit. This had a negative impact on the operators and those potential international firms that were considering moving their gambling business to Colombo. International operators gave up on the market.

More recently…

… in October 2019, the government announced it was set to enact legislation banning match-fixing, illegal betting on sports and sports manipulations. Provisions of ten-year jail terms were also included in the Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports Act. 

In January 2020 it was announced that Sri Lanka’s Inland Revenue Department would cut income taxes on many industries, the gambling industry included. As of the 1st of April 2020, the income from gambling which was previously taxed at 40% would be charged at 28%. 

Legal Online Gambling in Sri Lanka

While land-based gambling is regulated in Sri Lanka since 2010, there are no mentions in the laws about online gambling. Therefore, casino players from Sri Lanka are free to join online casinos and gamble there. 

However since online gambling is not regulated, Sri Lankan players actually do not have a regulatory body behind to protect them from frauds, crime and problems in online casinos. 

Fortunately since no law strictly forbids Sri Lankan players to gamble, they can do so at international online casino sites. 

Sri Lankan players…

… can freely access online casinos, deposit there and play to win staggering payouts. What’s more, these international sites offer them the protection they need. These online casinos are regulated by some of the world’s best jurisdictions, and overseen by watchdogs such as the Malta Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission and the Isle of Man. 

Therefore these players have no obstacles in terms of accessing and playing at online casinos. Plus, there’s no record of a player ever being fined for gambling online. 

Sri Lanka Online Casinos

Sri Lankan players have a huge number of online casinos to choose from and join. Online casinos that accept players from all around the world are doing their best to attend to the needs of each player. 

First and foremost…

… these online casinos offer something the Sri Lankan players probably need the most: high player protection. Not only are these online casinos regulated and overseen by respected regulators, but they also implement high-security measures. These online casinos make sure players' from all across the globe can sign up and play without a worry in their minds in terms of data and identity protection.

Secondly…

… these casinos offer a wide variety of games. From sportsbetting to all kinds of online casino games and Live Dealer games, these sites have it all. These games are even provided by some of the best software developers such as Yggdrasil, NetEnt, Microgaming, Red Tiger Gaming, Pragmatic Play, Playtech, Play’n GO, and Evolution Gaming, among others. 

Thirdly…

… they offer some of the most awesome Welcome Bonuses and a range of daily, weekly and monthly promotions players can take advantage of to boost their winnings.

Finally… 

… these casinos offer great multilingual Customer Support team and an array of payment methods players can deposit and withdraw with. In all, they offer next-level entertainment.

Games at Sri Lanka Online Casinos

As mentioned all types of games are available in international online casinos that accept players from Sri Lanka. Regardless of whether you’re an online slot machines fan, a roulette enthusiasts or an avid bingo player, you’ll have plenty of game options to choose from.

These games are completely fair and random, as they are running on a Random Number Generator (RNG). This is a computer device that generates random game outcomes, which cannot be predicted by anyone. Hence, this device provides only fair game results. 

Moreover…

… these games are developed by experienced game software developers, active in the industry for decades. Therefore, you should expect nothing but high-quality games, with mesmerizing graphics, astounding sound effects and really rewarding special features.

If you’re wondering which types of games you can find in international online casinos that accept Sri Lankan players, the following are just some of the ones you should expect to see:

• Sportsbetting;
• Live Casino games;
• RNG-based table games;
• Video poker;
• Bingo;
• Online slots;
• Scratchcards;
• Lottery;
• Craps;
• Keno.

These are the games you should expect to find in any top-ranked online casino across the internet. Each online casino has its own set of games to offer to players, so before you make your decision on the casino to join, make sure you visit the Games page to make sure it offers your favourite games. 

Mobile Betting

When smartphones and tablets first appeared, online casino players instantly tried playing their games on their mobile devices. 

However…

… these online casino games were not optimized for mobile gaming. That's when developers realized they need to upgrade their games to be compatible with mobile devices. 

In the meantime…

… operators also noticed that they need to make their platforms more adaptable to mobile devices. So they started creating mobile versions of their websites, and some even created mobile apps. 

Nowadays…

… mobile gambling is at its peak. Operators say that the majority of their traffic comes from mobile devices. And it’s only natural. Mobile devices have become an integral part of our lives, so gambling via our iOS or Android smartphones and tablets has become the new normal. 

Sri Lanka Online Banking & Casino Payment Methods

Online casino players from Sri Lanka can enjoy world-class gambling. They can make deposits and withdrawals to and from their casino account with many online banking options. 

The currency…

… in the country is the Sri Lankan rupee (LKR), however, players can opt to play with a variety of other currencies if willing to pay an exchange fee. 

Nevertheless…

… they should expect to have problem-free banking. International online casinos are equipped with the necessary payment methods and currencies to meet the needs of any international online casino player. 

Take a look at some of the payment methods Sri Lankan players can choose from:

• Maestro;
• VISA;
• ecoPayz;
• MasterCard;
• VISA Electron;
• Skrill;
• PayPal;
• Neteller; 
• UnionPay.

FAQs

1. Can I find an online casino that supports Sinhala?

- Considering online casinos that accept global players offer gambling in many languages, you may find an online casino where the platform is translated in Sinhala. 

2. Is it possible to find an online casino where the Customer Support agents speak Sinhala?

- This is unlikely, considering most agents from the Customer Support team speak English and maybe German, French, Italian, Spanish or some Scandinavian language. 

3. How can I know for certain whether an online casino is not rogue?

- Rogue casinos are usually blacklisted on reviewing blogs and sites. But if you want to be certain, you should check for the casino’s licenses and certificates. These can be found at the bottom of the casino’s homepage. 

4. Where can I check whether the casino offers games by my favourite software developer?

- Most casinos have the provider's logos listed at the bottom of the homepage. However, there should also be a list of software providers in the Games page. Usually, there's a filter where you can search for games by providers, so that should be helpful. 

5. How can I know for sure the games offered have a functional RNG?

- The game’s RNG is constantly being tested. There are fairness auditing companies such as TST, iTechLabs, and the most popular eCOGRA, who make sure they test the RNG and approve it for randomness. The agencies’ logos are usually found at the bottom of the homepage. 

6. Where can I see the payment methods offered in online casinos that accept players from Sri Lanka?

- Top online casinos offer a dedicated Payment Methods, Banking or Deposits/Withdrawal page where you can see all the payment methods available, the currencies and the transaction limits. 

7. How old should I be to join an international online casino?

- Most online casinos accept players which are 18 years old, however, there are also casinos where the legal gambling age is 21. 

8. Must I download an app to play at an online casino?

- No. You can download an app only if you wish to get quicker access to your favourite online casino. If not, you can access it via any browser. 

9. Can a player from Sri Lanka play progressive jackpot slots?

- Of course. As long as the online casino accepts players from Sri Lanka and offers progressive jackpot slots, you can play for a chance to win massive payouts. 

10. How can a Sri Lankan player contact the Customer Support at an online casino?

- Usually, there are many ways to contact the Customer Support team. An email address is most often offered, but so is Live Chat. Phone lines are rare, but top online casinos offer them, too. Other alternative ways are Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.