Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne on Wednesday (17) endorsed the certificate on the Bills titled Social Security Contribution Levy (Amendment), the Betting and Gaming Levy (Amendment), and the Strategic Development Projects (Amendment).

According to a Parliament statement, the primary purpose of the Social Security Contribution Levy (Amendment) Bill was to amend the Social Security Contribution Levy Act, No. 25 of 2022. The Bill was presented to Parliament on October 09, and the Bill was passed in Parliament on December 05.

The Betting and Gaming Levy (Amendment) Bill, duly passed on December 05, aimed to amend Section 2 of the principal enactment. Accordingly, amendments to the Bill aimed to limit the gross collection of ten per centum to have been applicable only for the time period from April 1, 2023, to October 1, 2025, increase the gross collection levy from persons carrying on a business of bookmaker or business of gambling to eighteen per centum from October 1, 2025, and increase the casino entrance levy from persons who are citizens of Sri Lanka to United States Dollars one hundred.

The Strategic Development Projects (Amendment) Bill, presented to Parliament on November 14, was passed in Parliament on December 05 for the purpose of amending the Strategic Development Projects Act, No. 14 of 2008. Accordingly, said amendments included reducing the maximum tax holiday period from twenty-five years to ten years and mandating a new process for project identification, the Board of Investment (BOI) identifying a project and referring it to the Ministry of Finance for a mandatory ex-ante cost-benefit analysis before any tax holiday or concession was granted, establishing new requirements for ex-post monitoring by the BOI, including the authority to impose administrative penalties or restrict or revoke exemptions for non-compliance with key performance indicators, requiring tax returns to be filed, and mandating the Ministry of Finance to publish an annual report on tax expenditures related to these projects.

Accordingly, the said three Bills will come into force as the Social Security Contribution Levy (Amendment) Act, No. 24 of 2025, the Betting and Gaming Levy (Amendment) Act, No. 25 of 2025, and the Strategic Development Projects (Amendment) Act, No. 26 of 2025. (Newswire)

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The 11 Indian nationals who were arrested in Akuregoda for allegedly engaging in online betting activities have been ordered to be deported from Sri Lanka. 

The Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court today ordered the group to be deported after imposing a fine of Rs. 100,000 each.

The Thalangama Police arrested the Indian nationals, including three women, this week, during a raid in Akuregoda, based on a tip-off received by police.

The suspects were reportedly engaging in online betting in connection with the recent India vs England series. 

According to police, the suspects had been using mobile phones and computers to operate an online gambling racket involving money bets. 

During the raid, officers seized 20 mobile phones, three laptop computers, and a tablet device.

The suspects include men aged 25, 26, 27, and 29, and women aged 22, 30, and 43. (Newswire)

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Thalangama Police have arrested 11 Indian nationals — including three women — for allegedly engaging in online gambling activities related to betting.

The arrests were made during a raid last night (Aug. 4) in the Akuregoda area, based on a tip-off received by police.

According to police, the suspects had been using mobile phones and computers to operate an online gambling racket involving money bets. During the raid, officers seized 20 mobile phones, three laptop computers, and a tablet device.

The suspects include men aged 25, 26, 27, and 29, and women aged 22, 30, and 43.

Further investigations are being carried out by the Thalangama Police. (Newswire)

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The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has announced that the levy on the gross collection of betting and gaming businesses for February 2025 must be paid on or before 07 March 2025.  

According to a notice issued by the IRD, the levy should be settled by the end of the first week of the month following the relevant month or before.  

For further inquiries, businesses can contact the IRD via the hotlines 0112135136, 0112135180, or 0112135171.

More details are also available on the department’s official website: www.ird.gov.lk. (Newswire)

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