Playwin, the lottery and gaming division of Pan India Network Infravest Pvt Ltd, was established in 2001 with an online lottery franchise for the Indian governments in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Sikkim. The company now also operates lotteries in Bhutan, Cambodia, Kenya and the Philippines, and is venturing into the offshore casino market in Goa. A Playwin floating casino could become the largest in the state.

In its fourth year (2005-06) Playwin had total turnover of US$362.6 million and a substantial amount of sales revenue goes to the respective state governments for development projects, including infrastructure, education and social welfare. Each draw is validated by the independent auditing firm Ernst & Young and Playwin’s hardware and software are provided by US company International Lottery and Totalizator Systems (ILTS).

There is a vast illegal betting market in India but so far Goa is the only Indian state to allow casinos. Talks on casino licensing are said to be continuing in the states of Punjab, Sikkim and Puducherry. Foreign operators are known to be interested in entering the huge potential gaming market in India. According to Playwin CEO Amar Sinha, its offshore operation in Goa will seek to attract the Indian gamblers who travel to Macau and elsewhere to play as well as tourists. (E-12.03.07)

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