Goa Government Gives the Nod For a 9th Onshore Casino in the State

The casino industry in Goa seems to be in a state of limbo. Where on the one hand there has been a lot of hue and cry about removing the offshore casinos from the Mandovi, the State’s Ports Minister Michael Lobo, on the other hand, has been advocating for the offshore casinos to continue operating from the Mandovi. The latest news to hit the stands is that the BJP-led government has now agreed to establish a ninth onshore casino in the coastal State.

On February 21, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant cleared the file to start the 29-table, 100-people capacity casino, which will be located in a top-rated hotel in the Kadamba plateau. The casino will have 17 electronic card games, four roulettes, five slot machines, and a money wheel. The total occupied area is below 300 sqm.

The state government, over the past few months, has had a tumulus relationship with the casino industry. CM Sawant had voiced his support for the casino industry in June 2019, categorically stating that casinos were crucial for Goa’s tourism industry and “cannot be written off.” However, by August, he expressed his views on banning locals from entering the casinos.

On January 30, Sawant came out with the big news declaring that “Goans will not be allowed on Casinos from February 1, Commercial Tax Commissioner given charge as Gaming commissioner, he has been given right to enter casino at any time & ask for ID’s of people entering into Casino.”

This announcement was heavily criticized with Lobo expressing reservations to the move, stating that Goans should be allowed to enter the casinos. While Congress President Girish Chodankar had alleged that the step of appointing a Gaming Commissioner was a sham.

The latest news of the government, allowing a ninth onshore casino to begin operations in Goa, is in contrast to the ruling party’s assurance to limit the casino industry in the State.

Previously, the government had granted licenses to 11 onshore casinos, out of which three were shut down when the government increased the license fees in March 2018.

Out of the nine casinos, eight are being operated in North Goa. Though the state government has capped the number of offshore casinos, there are no such restrictions on granting licenses to onshore casinos, just as long as they fulfill all the criteria implemented by the government.