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Residents of the Indian state of Goa might be banned from local casinos from next year, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Friday. The state currently has 15 operational casinos – six riverboat ones, floating across the Mandovi River, and nine onshore ones located at luxury five-star hotel resorts.
Chief Minister Parrikar explained that the proposed ban would be part of a larger policy aimed at re-regulating the state’s casino gambling industry. The piece of legislation is set to be introduced to the Assembly later this month.
If the policy gains the necessary support in the state’s main legislative body, it would ban locals from the gaming areas of the casinos. These would thus be available to tourists only. Chief Minister Parrikar revealed that a mechanism for the prevention of Goans from gambling at the state’s casinos would be put in place once a gaming commissioner who will oversee the industry and its pending re-regulation is appointed.
The appointment of an official who would be tasked with monitoring the industry’s development under the new rules would, too, be explained in greater detail in the new policy, which is currently being crafted by Goa lawmakers.
Located in western India, Goa is one of the country’s smallest states in terms of population. It is currently home to around 1.8 million people. However, it has become particularly popular with tourists due to its stretches of beach land.
Relocation of the Six Riverboat Casinos
Goa’s Chief Minister also provided information about the planned relocation of the six offshore casinos onto dry land. The facilities will be relocated to specially designated entertainment zones, which would be better detailed in the new policy.
The six casinos will be issued licenses to operate on dry land if they submit their application within a year after the implementation of the new gambling policy, Chief Minister Parrikar said on Friday. The official went on to explain that licenses for the operation of casinos in the designated entertainment zones will be valid for 10 to 15 years due to the large investment running such properties requires.
Goa’s riverboat casino relocation reform has been in the making for several years now but has never made it to eventual implementation, but Mr. Parrikar said he is committed to introducing and implementing the changes by the end of the month. He also said that the necessary rules and details about the appointment of a gaming commissioner in the state would be rolled out by the end of the year.
Analyst Grant Goversten from brokerage firm Union Gaming Securities Asia Ltd. has said in a note from earlier this year that Goa’s casino market has the potential to generate annual gross gaming revenue of up to $1 billion as it transitions its riverboat casino operations onto dry land as part of larger entertainment zones.
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