Casino in Colombo. It’s a win all the time in Colombo’s casinos. How? Because for a minimum spend of Rs40,000 to Rs100,000 (according to which casino you chose) you can eat, drink and smoke all you want, with music too and a chance to meet new people, and get chauffeured back to your hotel as well. So you’re winning before you start if you consider all that’s included.
Colombo is not known for its amazing casinos. That’s due to the ambivalent attitude of the authorities. Should they be allowed or not? But for 30 years they have flourished in different forms, and now they are at their best, even if they are not promoted as part of Sri Lanka’s diverse tourist product.
There are three casinos in Colombo, all within easy reach of the city’s main hotels. They are not huge like those in Singapore or Las Vagas; instead, their intimacy lends a sense of party and security. The dealers are friendly and interact with players, and people share the excitement at a big win. In fact, for a fun night out in Colombo, a casino is the best bet.
The three casinos, Bally’s Casino in Colombo, Bellagio Casino in Colombo and Marina Casino in Colombo, are owned and run by Sri Lankans. Perhaps this is what gives them their unique “laid back” approach to gambling. That doesn’t mean they aren’t run with professionalism and with highly skilled dealers; they are. It’s the welcome that makes the difference and sets the mood for an enjoyable evening (or a fun-filled morning if you like, since they are all open 24 hours a day, except on Poya holidays, the days of the full moon).
Players can obtain chips with a valid credit card from the cashier’s counter or toss currency notes (rupees or known international currencies) on the table. Chips obtained using a credit card involve a small service charge added to the bill. Your winning chips can be converted into cash (foreign currency if that’s what you changed to play) at the cashier’s desk.
You will be asked your name when you change money to play and this is entered onto a table-side computer which keeps track of your spending.
Here’s our simple amateur gambler’s guide to Colombo’s casinos. Good luck!
Bally’s Casino in Colombo
24hrs 
Chips for Rs5,000 
24 McCallum Road, Colombo 1 Get directions
This is the country’s oldest existing casino, having begun life in a smaller property in the city centre. Its current location is in an industrial area (no shops) but still easy to reach. Visitors are scrutinised by the doormen before entering a reception area for entrance formalities (tourists must show passports).
The atmosphere, once a uniformed doorman opens the grand door to admit players, is vibrant. The gambling hall is vast, with an area cordoned off by screens for high rollers, usually foreigners. Tables for roulette, blackjack and baccarat share the space while uniformed waiters serve drinks and snacks to the tables. There is a buffet restaurant. The washrooms are monitored by housekeeping and kept clean.
At Bally’s, visiting foreigners are required to purchase a minimum of Rs5,000 worth of chips before being allowed entry. The minimum amount to change at a table to play is Rs5,000.
The minimum stake for every round is Rs5,000 for baccarat and Rs2,000 for roulette.
Dress code is smart casual. For endless free drinks and cigarettes, and transport from to hotel, foreigners are required to change at least Rs100,000 into player’s chips. At Bally’s, there is daily entertainment with music and dance performances from 20.30 to 03.00 taking place while you play. There are also nightly draws with chips as prizes and mega draws at weekends and on special occasions.
Bally’s operates enticing packages for foreign visitors that include return flight from home country, hotel accommodation and meals.
Bellagio Colombo Casino
24hrs No entry fee 03, 430 R A de Mel Mawatha, Colombo 3, Get directions
A sister casino of Bally’s, Bellagio seems to attract a less refined crowd but it is safe fun nevertheless. Its central location (on the busy street known locally as Duplication Road) amidst shops and restaurants, makes it popular. Drinks are served to players at tables and there is a buffet restaurant.
There is no entry fee for foreigners but a minimum of Rs10,000 must be changed in order to play. Chips can be obtained using a credit card at the cashier’s counter, or by placing cash on the table. The minimum stake for each round of roulette is Rs500, for baccarat Rs1,000, for Black Jack Rs1,000 and Poker Rs1,000. Winnings are paid in Sri Lankan rupees.
While players with a spend of Rs10,000 are entitled to food and beverages cigarettes are only given free to known players, not to walk-in guests. There is entertainment in the form of theme nights, cultural events and special draws.
For information on partner hotels, go here
Marina Casino in Colombo
24hrs No entry fee 3, 30, Marine Drive, Colombo 3, Get directions
The newest of Colombo’s casinos and purpose-built, not converted from a warehouse. This is a grand, multi-floored building in a superb location overlooking the Indian Ocean, but no sea views for its players who are sequestered in privacy.
Ultra smart, popular, and with sister casinos in Madagascar, Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi, Marina has grown out of a small local casino known as Stardust.
The main hall has a gallery overlooking the players and there are several floors for big spenders to play in luxury and be smothered with hospitality.
There is no entry fee (but a passport or a copy of it must be shown at reception). Foreigners can obtain chips using a credit card and must change a minimum of Rs10,000 to play, with a minimum spend of Rs10,000 each round.
For free cigarettes and drinks, a player needs to change (and spend) at least Rs30,000. Transport can be provided to a player’s hotel if the minimum spend is Rs40,000. There are no special packages arranged to bring visitors from other countries. Lots of entertainment with musical nights, draws, occasional cabaret and pole dancers, and a buffet restaurant.
Sri Lanka Holiday Guru Tip
All three casinos are open for 24 hours every day, except on Poya (Full Moon) day holidays.
Alcohol is served only during permitted hours, and not on government decreed dry days, like 25 December.
Dress code is “smart casual” but we advise you not to be too casual since the casinos are air-conditioned and smart (but suits and James Bond-type tuxedos are rarely seen). No sandals or shorts.
There is no entry fee levied on foreigners visiting a casino, but a Sri Lankan national or resident (unless a long-time member) has to pay US$50 entrance. Bear this in mind if you are inviting a Sri Lankan to accompany you into a Colombo casino. The minimum age for entry is 20, so if you look younger, show your passport.
If you have any doubt about a dealer’s dealings or paying out (anyone can make a mistake), ask for playback of the event on the screen in the security office for an unseen umpire to judge and decide.
If you are a lucky foreigner you may find yourself popular with other customers, many of whom are professionals adept at charm. If this bothers you, have a quiet word with the casino’s security men; they wear red ties.
Don’t let this put you off going to one of Colombo’s casinos. They are brightly lit, well-run places providing great fun (and even some profit) for a night out in Colombo at a lot less than in Las Vegas or Singapore.
