Goa Government To Ban Entry of Locals To Casinos In Near Future

The Goa government has indicated that locals would soon be barred from entering casinos. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who belongs to the newly re-elected BJP party, stated in a recent interview with local media that the government would not encourage gambling going forward. He said that while the government may not altogether ban casinos it might take steps to restrict its operations.

Goa is one of the three states that allow gambling in India. There are around 11 land-based gaming facilities in the state as well as six offshore casinos. Gambling has always been a thorny issue politically in the state.

In a statement, Manohar Parrikar said

It is human nature to gamble that is why we cannot eradicate it completely, but definitely we cannot encourage it. That is why we had decided on a policy to ban Goans from going to casinos. A lot has been done about it and in the days to come there will be a complete ban on locals going to casinos

The Times of India

He however emphasized that the casinos would not be closed down completely as several companies had made extensive investments. According to the government, activities like gambling and late night parties were leading to the alleged degeneration of Goan culture. The government recently announced that it would be enforcing an existing ban on loud music and parties post 10 p.m. Additionally, a recent Supreme Court order has banned sale of liquor near state and national highways, affecting some businesses.

The prohibition on locals entering casinos is sure to hurt casino revenues as well as of bars and clubs within the facilities. Parrikar has ruled out any impact from these measures on the state’s economy.

In his view, the state will experience 14-15 percent GDP growth, higher than the official projection of 11 percent. He also added that the GST regime which is expected to be rolled out by July will also benefit the state. Parrikar stated that the government has been looking at ways to rehabilitate establishments affected by the Supreme Court ban.

Parrikar has also promised that the floating casinos would be moved from the River Mandovi to another site, repeating earlier promises regarding the long-running issue of finding the casinos a permanent location. The government extended the deadline earlier this year for moving offshore casinos to September 30, 2017. The previous administration had stated that it was taking steps to update gaming regulations in the state and create a gambling commission.

Adrian Sterne

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