Operator News
Sri Lanka – Sri Lankan casinos facing licensing, entry fees and taxation increases
By Phil - 6 March 2019
Casino operators in Sri Lanka will be hit by a triple whammy with Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera confirming that licensing fees, entry fees and taxation will all be increasing in the coming months.
Sri Lanka is to increase its annual licence fee for casinos from LKR200m to LKR400m (US$2.2m). There will also be a turnover tax of 15 per cent. The taxes will come into effect from April 1. The casino entrance fee of 50 dollars per person will be introduced from June 1.
Analysts believe the entrance will damage casino revenues as it will discourage domestic players. Annual fees for rudjino games, a type of card game popular in Sri Lanka will also increase to LKR1m.
The capital of Colombo is a hot bed for casino gaming in Sri Lanka with popular casinos such as Bellagio Colombo, Bally’s, Casino Marina Colombo and Star Dust all to be impacted by the new laws.
