Sri Lankan authorities banned access to 24 major online betting sites, including stake.com, bet365.com, betway.com, and 1xBet.com, on August 5 as part of a crackdown on unauthorised gambling [1]. Two days later, the government added nearly 100 more betting sites to the blacklist, bringing the total number of blocked platforms to over 120 [2, 3].
Online gambling is legal in Sri Lanka, but operators must register with the government and obtain licences. The banned sites were found to be operating without licences or registration [1, 2, 3].
The Ministry ordered all telecom service providers to immediately implement the bans nationwide to prevent access to these unlicensed sites [1, 2, 3]. Officials also warned the public that investing in unlicensed gambling platforms is illegal under Sri Lankan law [1, 2, 3].
Despite the restrictions, internet users can still access the blocked sites by using virtual private network (VPN) software, which allows them to bypass local internet controls [1, 2, 3].
The initial ban affected 24 sites, while 98 additional platforms were blocked two days later, significantly expanding the government's restrictions on illegal online gambling [1, 2, 3]. Enforcement efforts continue as authorities work to curb unauthorized betting activity across the country.
