TLDR
- Former Philippine offshore gaming operators are reportedly relocating to Sri Lanka’s Port City Special Economic Zone.
- Recruiters are targeting former POGO workers from the Philippines, China, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
- Thousands of workers have reportedly moved to Sri Lanka, and some do not have valid work permits.
- Sri Lankan officials say new gambling rules will apply to Port City and the rest of the country.
- Networks such as KJC, P3Bet, and King Group have reportedly been linked to operations in Sri Lanka.
Former Philippine offshore gaming operators and their workers are reportedly moving operations to Sri Lanka. Colombo’s Port City Special Economic Zone is emerging as a base for online gaming businesses that target customers overseas.
The claim comes from an investigation by MonetaBrief. The report was published by Sri Lankan newspaper The Island on Sunday.
The investigation said some of the largest online gaming groups now working in Sri Lanka appear to be former POGOs. Those operators were shut down after the Philippines banned the offshore gaming sector.
Recruiters Target Former Gaming Workers
The report said recruiters are targeting former gaming workers from the Philippines and other parts of Asia. Ads are promoting Sri Lanka, especially Port City, as a stable place for the online gaming industry.
Thousands of workers from China, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Cambodia have reportedly moved to Sri Lanka for these jobs. Some of them do not have valid work permits.
Many of these workers reportedly support operations that target markets where online gambling is restricted or banned. This includes several countries across Asia that have cracked down on offshore gaming in recent years.
MonetaBrief said larger online gaming groups appear to operate either inside the Port City ecosystem or through companies approved by the Board of Investment. Some of these are business process outsourcing firms.
Some Sri Lankan BPO and IT companies are reportedly helping operators set up their businesses. This includes help getting residence visas and work permits.
The investigation named high rise buildings in Colombo’s Fort, Town Hall, and Havelock City areas as online gaming hubs. These areas have reportedly become centers for the industry’s growth in the city.
Sri Lanka’s Regulatory Response
Deputy Minister for Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne told MonetaBrief that Sri Lanka’s planned gambling rules will apply across the whole country. This includes the Port City zone.
Weeraratne said the government and law enforcement agencies are discussing the online gaming issue. He said Sri Lanka is building cooperation with countries such as Thailand and Cambodia.
The investigation also named two large online gaming networks, KJC and P3Bet. Both are reportedly operating from Sri Lanka and targeting customers in Vietnam.
The report said King Group had also recruited workers for operations in Sri Lanka. King Group was targeted during a Vietnamese cybercrime crackdown in July.
AGB reported in May that illegal online gambling and scam networks were moving into Sri Lanka. This followed law enforcement pressure in other parts of Asia.
More than 1,000 foreigners have been arrested since the start of 2026 over cyber related crimes. Most of those arrested came from China, Vietnam, and India.
China and Sri Lanka have started working together against international online gambling and telecom fraud. This follows the movement of these networks after tougher enforcement in East and Southeast Asia.
Sri Lanka is still developing its new gambling regulatory framework. The Gambling Regulatory Authority Act came into force on December 1, 2025, and covers both land based and digital gambling, though the rules needed to enforce it have faced delays.
