Sri Lanka blocks 24 online gambling sites

Sri Lanka has blocked access to 24 major online gambling sites as part of a crackdown on unauthorised gambling, the Digital Economy Ministry said on Wednesday.

Online gambling is legal in Sri Lanka, but operators must register with the authorities and pay licence fees. The government ordered local internet providers to block access from Sri Lanka to the sites, though VPN software could still bypass the restrictions.

The ministry said all telecom service providers had been ordered to implement the ban immediately. The blocked sites include stake.com, bet365.com, betway.com and 1xBet.com.

Authorities also warned Sri Lankans that investing in those sites was illegal.