Goa Mayor Affirms CCP’s Negative Stance on Casino License Renewal Issue

Offshore casinos in Goa have been shut since March, and like most other businesses in the coastal state, they have been piling on significant losses. If the raging pandemic and the prolonged closure were not trouble enough, the casino industry has again landed itself in a confrontation with the Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP). Almost a month after stating that the casino trade license renewal applications are on hold, the Mayor of Panaji, Uday Madkaikar, has accused the media of misquoting him on this issue. He has firmly re-iterated the CCP’s initial stance of not renewing the trade licenses for the casinos.

The CCP is the government body responsible for renewing the trade licenses of casinos operating from the River Mandovi. Amid continued public and political opposition to the presence of casinos on the river, the Corporation had last August announced that 2020 onwards, it would not be renewing the trade license of any offshore casino.

Madkaikar first hinted at a softening of stance on this issue in March when he said that a final decision was still left open to be discussed in a meeting before March 31. However, he has brought things back to square one with his recent remarks. According to a TOI report, Madkaikar said, “The question of renewing licenses for offshore casinos doesn’t arise at all. Our stand and that of Babush (Atanasio Monserrate) is firm. We don’t want casinos in Panaji.”

Emphasizing that his statements on offshore casinos were misconstrued, Madkaikar said, “I was just telling the press what the taxi operators and prominent businessmen requested. They have been asking me not to stop casinos as business is already down due to COVID. Shutting down casinos will worsen the situation. They requested that licenses be given at least for two years.”

He further underlined that this was a sensitive decision to make that required all Corporation members’ consensus. “I can’t take the decision alone. I will have to take permission from the councilors. A council resolution to renew their trade licenses will have to be taken.”

Renewing Licenses – What’s The Problem?

Offshore casinos have been an eyesore for some locals for various reasons, and this fact has been exploited by most of the political groups sitting in opposition benches.

For the last few years now, different political groups, including the now-ruling BJP, have raised the demand for making Goa free of casinos. The casino industry has also faced the brunt for reportedly polluting the waters of River Mandovi.

Last year, the Pramod Sawant-led government worked frantically to explore alternate locations for shifting the offshore casinos out from the Mandovi. Options like moving some of the casinos to the Veerem side of Mandovi or to Aguada Bay were being considered with the end-goal of getting them transferred on land to the Mopa Airport complex. None of these fructified.

Even the government permission to operate from Mandovi expired for these casinos in April, where the state cabinet granted another six-month extension.

Given the financial contributions made by the casinos to the state, predominantly in taxes and licensee fees, it seems unlikely that the CCP will be able to hold out against the casino industry. For now, we will have to wait to see how things pan out.