Goa is the only place in India where casino gambling is legal and the industry has brought the state both employment and government revenue. Recently the casinos have faced increasingly hostile reactions from opposition politicians, environmentalists and anti-gambling lobbyists amidst accusations that gaming regulations have not been adhered to correctly and that the offshore casinos are contravening various aspects of the law.

The government made a bid to move the gambling vessels away from the Mandovi River to a less controversial location away from river traffic and fishing grounds. However, the proposed relocation has been contested in court as casino licences were granted for the Mandovi River, more conveniently placed for customers. The economic downturn has affected business at Goa’s casinos, on land and offshore, and at least two of the six vessels presently operating are up for sale.

The increase in casino entry fee, recently imposed by the government, has reduced visitor numbers. The fee rose from about $4 to $40, apparently in a bid to limit underage gambling, but in southern Goa casino visits have fallen by as much as 90%. In north Goa and Panjim business is down some 50%. Around 2.4 million tourists visit Goa annually and the gaming industry could generate up to $15 million a year.

The Mint Casino was recently ordered closed due to non-payment of licence fees and now its vice president has been booked under the Immoral Trafficking Prevention Act. The linking of casinos to money laundering, drugs and prostitution is an image the Goa casinos have been seeking to redress, so the Association of Offshore Casinos and the Casino Association of Goa have hastened to distance themselves from the bad press, stating that the Mint Casino was not a member of either association. (E-10.20.09)

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