• Melco Resorts’ new City of Dreams Sri Lanka casino has deployed advanced payment and transaction systems from specialist technology supplier JCM Global.
• The casino’s entire floor of electronic gaming machines is now equipped with iVIZION bill validators, capable of recognising over 120 currencies, and the ICB Intelligent Cash Box system.
• The investment in high-tech, secure cash-handling is a key operational step for the US$1.2 billion integrated resort, which opened its casino floor last month.
• The launch coincides with the implementation of Sri Lanka’s new Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) Act and proposed tax hikes, including an increase in the GGR levy from 15% to 18%.
• Melco is positioning the resort as a major new tourism hub, with a particular focus on targeting high-spending visitors from the vast and nearby Indian market.

City of Dreams Sri Lanka, the newly opened and first integrated resort in South Asia, has equipped its casino floor with a suite of advanced cash-handling and payment technologies from the global supplier JCM Global. The move is a key step in ensuring the operational security and efficiency of the landmark $1.2 billion property.

The deployment includes JCM’s iVIZION bill validators on all electronic gaming machines. This technology is a first line of defence against counterfeit currency and is capable of recognising and processing banknotes from more than 120 different currencies, a crucial feature for a resort with international ambitions. The casino has also installed the ICB Intelligent Cash Box system, which automates and streamlines the cash collection process, reducing human error and enhancing compliance.

A Strategic Bet on the Indian Market

The City of Dreams Sri Lanka, a partnership between Melco Resorts & Entertainment and local conglomerate John Keells Holdings, is the largest private sector investment in the nation’s history. It is strategically positioned to become a major gaming and tourism hub for the wider South Asian region.

Melco Chairman and CEO Lawrence Ho has explicitly highlighted the resort’s geographic advantage. “ Macau is by far the biggest gaming market in the world. Colombo is the closest destination to India, and an integrated resort like this gives the city a lot of potential,” he noted. With over 416,000 Indian tourists visiting Sri Lanka in 2024 alone, the resort is designed to capture a significant share of this high-value market.

Navigating a New and Untested Regulatory Framework

The resort’s launch comes at a pivotal and uncertain time for the Sri Lankan gaming industry. The country’s new Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) Act took effect in September, establishing a new independent body to oversee the sector. However, as has been previously reported, the bill has been heavily criticised by local experts for lacking true independence and credibility.

Operators are also facing new fiscal pressures. The 2025 budget proposes to increase the betting and gaming levy on gross gaming revenue from 15% to 18%, and to double the casino entry fee for Sri Lankan residents to US$100.

A High-Tech Operation in an Uncertain Environment

Melco’s investment in best-in-class technology from a globally trusted supplier like JCM Global is a clear signal of its intent to run a secure, compliant, and efficient operation that meets international standards. However, this high-tech operation is launching into a deeply uncertain regulatory environment. While the operator is doing its part to ensure operational integrity, the long-term success of this landmark project will now heavily depend on whether the country’s new and untested regulatory authority can provide the stable and credible oversight that a multi-billion dollar investment requires.