Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksa delivered a statement in Parliament on August 24, shedding light on serious issues related to the Lanka Premier League (LPL) cricket tournament. He revealed that the tournament had become a gambling market with significant problems and disclosed the involvement of cryptocurrency sponsors that violate Sri Lanka’s laws.
Minister Rajapaksa highlighted that the B Love Kandy team, which emerged as the champion of the LPL, was sponsored by a company promoting the cryptocurrency “B Love.” This sponsorship raised concerns, as the promotion of such cryptocurrencies is prohibited under Sri Lankan law.
The Justice Minister further disclosed the presence of around 15 gambling and betting websites that played a significant role in the LPL tournament, which had been organized without obtaining proper approval.
The 15 websites being: Skyfair.News, 1xBet 1XBook, Crickets In, Kheloyar News, Babu88, SAT sport, Wolf 777, Tiger ESCH, BA Fry Coin,, MTFE. Those are the sites.
He specifically mentioned that the title sponsor of the competition, SKYFAIR, was an illegal offshore betting website.
Addressing the issues surrounding the LPL tournament, Minister Rajapaksa stated:
“There are serious problems with the recently held LPL tournament, especially concerning the direction of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board. Many programs were implemented, especially to promote the cryptocurrency system. The T20 franchise-based league titles were sponsored by an illegal offshore betting site called SKYFAIR. This game has been used to promote forbidden activities.”
The minister expressed his responsibility to ensure that the actions taken by the cricket board are lawful and urged corrective measures. He highlighted that Section 108 of the Anti-Corruption Act, Act No. 09 of 2023, now includes provisions against bribes and tips related to sports, punishable by imprisonment and fines. Article 109 of the Act also pertains to explaining the accumulation of wealth, placing accountability on the cricket board and other individuals.
Minister Rajapaksa emphasized his commitment to addressing these issues and proposed introducing a bill to rectify these concerns, urging the cabinet’s approval for the plan.
