Gaming Tycoon Ravi Wijeratne Sues John Keells over Rs. 15 Billion Casino Dispute
- CNL Reporter
- August 8, 2025
- News
- Gaming Tycoon
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Veteran casino operator Ravi Wijeratne and Rank Entertainment Holdings (Pvt) Ltd. have filed a Rs. 15 billion lawsuit in the Colombo Commercial High Court against Waterfront Properties (Pvt) Ltd., John Keells Holdings PLC, Hong Kong-listed Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd., and Blue Heaven Services (Pvt) Ltd.
The plaintiffs allege breach of contractual obligations and failure to disclose material information, claiming the dispute stems from an agreement dating back to 2013. They say Rank Entertainment Holdings kept a casino license inoperative—paying millions annually to the Government—on the understanding it would operate the casino at the Cinnamon Life integrated resort.
According to the plaintiffs, they invested heavily in the design, development, and financial planning of the casino space, sharing proprietary and commercially sensitive information. They claim John Keells and Waterfront Properties benefited from this information while awarding operations to Melco Resorts and its local subsidiary, Blue Heaven Services, which now holds the casino license.
The plaintiffs maintain that John Keells had no prior casino industry expertise and relied entirely on their knowledge. They argue the alleged misuse of proprietary information violates Sri Lanka’s Intellectual Property Act.The court has ordered the defendants to file their responses by November 12, 2025
