Starting April 1, casino operators in Sri Lanka will be required to pay double the annual gaming license fee and turnover will be taxed at 15 percent. In addition, starting June 1, casino customers will have to pay a US$50 entry fee. The new levies are part of a list of new “sin taxes” assessed by budget-makers.
License fees for casinos will increase from US$1.1 million to US$2.2 million.
The sin taxes also will include higher taxes on tobacco and alcohol.
According to CDC Gaming Reports, another budget measure is a 3.5 percent “Nation-Building Tax” on anyone using an international credit card in to purchase goods or services including “offshore digital services.”
The NBT was introduced in 2009 as a way to boost law enforcement and rebuild communities and infrastructure affected by civil war. The conflict between the government and the militant Tamil Liberation Tigers began in 1983. It’s been described as one of the longest-running civil wars in Asia.
