The fact that casinos in Goa need a regulatory authority is far from being news. It has been said time and again but the government has so far neglected to act, despite three years ago claiming that it would be setting up a regulatory body on the lines of the Nevada Gaming Commission. John Snowball, a casino operator with years of experience and presently Vice President (Gaming Operations) of Crown Lounge and Casino, Goa’s newest casino, says that such a regulatory authority is “absolutely essential.”
In an article from the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), while at a promotional event organized by casino operators in Goa Snowball commented: "It is absolutely essential to have a gaming authority or a regulator to ensure that gambling is properly conducted in Goa. It is not so hard to have an authority like this. There are gaming bodies around the world which control casinos. It is not a difficult thing to set one up in Goa."
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Previously the government declared that a Gaming Commission would be in place by 2010 but so far no such body has materialized. Goa now has five offshore floating casinos and around 20 land-based casinos in 5-star hotels. The casinos and gambling are frequently the cause of controversy in both Goa’s state assembly and its local press. (E-11.15.11)
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