Goa CM Confirms Casinos to Resume Operations From November 1

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  • Attreyee Khasnabis October 28, 2020
  • 2 Minutes Read

Some good news at last! All you poker lovers, who were missing live poker, well, it’s time. Goa’s state government, in a press conference held after a cabinet meeting today, confirmed that they had given the green light to casinos to restart operations from November 1.

Goa’s casino industry that had shut down in mid-March with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has been through several ups and downs over the past few months. From the CCP taking a negative stance on the renewal of casino trade licenses to offshore casinos receiving another six-month extension to remain in the Mandovi, it’s been a bumpy ride.

In early October, as per the Union Government’s guidelines, most activities in Goa were expected to reopen as part of Unlock 5.0, barring casinos. It seems like the state government has changed its mind.

On October 28, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced the decision, claiming that it was taken to “promote tourism activity in the state.”

Pramod Sawant
Pramod Sawant

 

“From November 1, we have given the casinos permissions to start. They will have to follow all the SOPs as will be issued to them by the Home Department, and with 50% capacity, they can start. We need to promote tourism activity,” Sawant said.

A vast majority of the state economies have taken a hit during the lockdown period. With most hospitality establishments and travel shutting shop, the tourism sector has suffered tremendously.

Goa is heavily dependent on tourism and is one of the only two states with casinos; the latter plays a vital role in attracting tourists. Hence, it makes a lot of sense that the state government has decided to reopen casinos from November 1.

Sawant also said that instead of paying annual fees, the casino operators could pay their license fees monthly.

The casino operators have all been preparing for this eventuality. In fact, the Business Head – Poker at Delta Corp, Manish J. Adnani, even told PokerGuru of all the precautions that his team has taken to ensure the safety and health of casino visitors.

Manish J Adnani
Manish J Adnani

 

“We are all set to open once the industry gets the green light to go live. There is no indication yet of when we are resuming operations. Our tables are all adapted for as per global social distancing norms and will be 6-max with shields. Besides this, there are several checks at the entry point to ensure player safety.”

While the reopening is indeed heartening news, there is another perspective to consider. The majority of the casino staff who belong to other states had returned to their native places during the lockdown. With travel still restricted in some parts and the casino industry reopening in just three days, there is a genuine possibility that most casino personnel will take more time returning to work.

We are unsure if poker operations will also immediately restart on November 1, as it is again dependent on the availability of dealers and other casino staff.

This is a developing story. Stay tuned for more updates!

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