• COPF grants conditional approval to regulations under Casino Business (Regulation) Act
• Conditions include establishing regulatory authority by 30 Sept. 2023, monthly progress evaluation

Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chairman, Samagi Jana Balawegaya Opposition MP, and economist Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday (8) said in Parliament that approval had been granted to the rules and regulations issued under the Casino Business (Regulation) Act, No. 17 of 2010, subject to strict conditions, including the promise given by the Ministry of Finance officials to establish a casino regulatory authority by 30 September 2023, and for the COPF to evaluate and monitor the monthly progress. 

“The COPF granted approval upon promises given to establish a casino regulatory authority by 30 September 2023, and because the Government required the approval,” he added. 

He further clarified that initially the COPF was against it because the rules and regulations of the said Act were brought about to issue licences to casinos without the supervision of a casino regulatory authority. 

“Before, it was said that this was brought to give licences to casinos without licences. We were immediately against it. After that, we said that if we had to give approval, when the regulatory body would be established, we should be informed as to who will be responsible and what their responsibilities are. After that, they said that they wanted time until the end of 2024 to establish the authority or body. We rejected that,” he added. 

Dr. de Silva noted in Parliament yesterday (8) that he would be tabling the document that has the signature of the relevant official, and place the same in the Hansard. 

“I will be tabling this in Parliament to file it in the Hansard. We have got this signed. We would continue to evaluate and monitor every month to see their progress. I tell you (addressing Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana) with utmost responsibility that this promise should be fulfilled accordingly,” he said. 

He noted that according to the power vested in Parliament under Article 148 of the Constitution, these conditions should be implemented. 

“It has been sent to us by the Deputy Secretary to the Treasury, and after the amendments, we are making it available, and we are tabling it, and therefore, we want it in the Hansard,” he added. 

Meanwhile, President and Finance Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday in Parliament that a new law must be brought in to regulate casinos, and suggested that Singapore-style laws be considered. He also told the House to be involved in drafting policies related to casinos, and said that even the COPF can send in a comprehensive report on the matter. 

“We must have a new law to regulate casinos. I think that the laws in Singapore are something to watch, and I’d like the House to draft the policies related to these issues. Maybe the COPF can send us a report on the regulation of casinos,” he added. 

President Wickremesinghe further pointed out that Singapore had not only looked at the aspects of regulation and health. 

“There are also many social issues that I think will have to go into a full comprehensive report on casinos. How many casinos can we bear? We cannot have a casino at every petrol station. We have to decide on how many casinos we want to have,” he added. 

On Tuesday (6), Dr. de Silva noted in Parliament that a two-year timeline is a long period to establish a casino regulatory authority, when the said authority had been in the works for 12 years, and that therefore, the COPF had advised the Ministry of Finance officials to submit an agreeable timeline to set up the authority.

He accordingly noted that therefore, the COPF had postponed the Casino Business (Regulation) Act, No. 17 of 2010 for the second time.

On 29 November, State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe told The Morning that the Ministry of Finance is in the process of establishing a casino regulatory board and authority, but stated that a solid timeline cannot be given concerning its eventual establishment as the procedure would require a lot of legal work.

Dr. de Silva pointed out in the House on 28 November that casino licences are to be granted for the first time under the Casino Business (Regulation) Act without the purview of a casino regulatory authority. He further noted that the COPF did not grant its approval to the regulations under the said Act. He also noted that the reason for this is that the Act was amended for the first time to grant licences to casinos, and that generally when such licences are granted, there should be a regulatory authority to regulate the process, but that in this instance, the authority had been granted to the relevant subject Minister.