Entry for a foreign visitor: age, passport, dress
The rule a traveller actually meets at the door is the Casino Business Licensing Regulation No. 1 of 2022, made under the Casino Business (Regulation) Act of 2010, which prohibits anyone under 21 from entering or taking part in any gaming in a casino. The newer Gambling Regulatory Authority Act of 2025 makes gambling with a person under 18 an offence and bars licensees from letting a person under 18 gamble. The two have not been reconciled in anything we could find, so the practical floor is 21 and a passport is the document that proves it; a Sri Lankan visitor shows national ID and pays the levy.
Foreign visitors pay no entry levy. The US$100 charge applies to Sri Lankan citizens only, and the government has said in terms that the new Colombo floor is intended primarily for foreign tourists. Dress is not set by law. Colombo casinos describe smart casual, no shorts or flip-flops on the main floor, and the venue's own rule is the one that applies; confirm with the property before an evening you have planned around it.
The casino arrived before the regulator
City of Dreams Sri Lanka opened its first phase in late 2024 and its casino on 1 August 2025, in Colombo Port City. It is a joint venture between John Keells Holdings and Melco Resorts, with two hotels, the 687-room Cinnamon Life and the 113-room Nüwa, and a 16,700 square metre gaming floor; at US$1.2 billion it is the largest private investment Sri Lanka has ever seen. Melco's local subsidiary holds a 20-year casino licence.
The Gambling Regulatory Authority meant to supervise all of this came into legal existence on 1 December 2025, when its Act was brought into operation, four months after the floor opened. By August 2026 the Act was being enforced: the Ministry of Digital Economy and the telecoms regulator ordered 24 unlicensed gambling websites blocked under it, among them Stake, bet365 and Betway. That ordering, a billion-dollar floor first and the regulator afterwards, is still the single most useful fact on this page.
Taxing what the state cannot yet see
Two changes took effect on 1 January 2026. The gross levy on betting and gaming rose to 18%, and the entrance levy charged to Sri Lankan citizens doubled from US$50 to US$100. The entry levy follows the Singapore pattern of pricing locals out while leaving visitors free.
The stated reason for building a regulator at all is online. Government officials have said roughly two thirds of casino players in Sri Lanka now play online, and that there is no system for collecting tax from online operators. The new floor in Colombo is visible and taxable; the larger part of the market is neither.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the casino entry age in Sri Lanka?
- 21 at a casino, under the Casino Business Licensing Regulation of 2022. The 2025 Gambling Regulatory Authority Act sets 18 for gambling generally; the two have not been reconciled, so expect 21 at the door.
- Can foreign visitors enter Sri Lankan casinos?
- Yes, free, with a passport. The US$100 entry levy applies to Sri Lankan citizens only, and the government has described the Colombo floor as intended primarily for foreign tourists.
- Is there a dress code?
- Not in law. Colombo casinos describe smart casual, with no shorts or flip-flops on the main floor; the venue's own rule applies.
- Is there a casino in Colombo?
- Yes. City of Dreams Sri Lanka opened its casino in Colombo Port City on 1 August 2025.
- Do Sri Lankans pay to enter a casino?
- Yes. The entrance levy for citizens doubled from US$50 to US$100 on 1 January 2026. Foreign visitors do not pay it.
- Who regulates gambling in Sri Lanka?
- The Gambling Regulatory Authority, whose Act came into operation on 1 December 2025. In August 2026 the government blocked 24 unlicensed gambling sites under that Act.
Legal age, regulator and the tax treatment of player winnings on this page were checked against the regulator's own material or a reputable legal summary in September 2026. Gambling law moves; confirm anything consequential with the regulator before relying on it. Where sources disagreed, this site leaves the figure out rather than guessing.