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Goa CM to Amend Gambling Act Soon

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar recently made an announcement stating that the State Government is all set to amend the Gambling Act. The casino policy is ready and will be announced next month after discussion among the cabinet. According to reports, it has provisions for a Gaming Commission to regulate casino activities in the state of Goa.

The Gaming Commission is set to lay the guidelines for the amendment of the Goa Public Gaming Act and this amendment will be introduced in the Budget session in February 2018. What this will do is that no new casino licenses will be issued to boats or vessels in the state. Currently, 5 boats have casino licenses and Casino Maharaja is all set to become the sixth.

CM Parrikar has indicated in the past that he is committed to moving the Goa casinos out of the river Mandovi and this may soon happen, once an alternative site is found on land. In July, Parrikar announced that casino operators will have a period of 3 years to shift to the ‘special entertainment zone’ (where local Goans will not be allowed), or else they will be banned from operating in the Mandovi.

“I will change the law,” said CM Manohar Parrikar. “The amendment would define a particular date after which there will be no new casino licences issued to any ship.”

Consultancy firm KPMG has been hired to identify this special entertainment zone where the current offshore casinos will have to shift to. Further, the Gaming Commissioner will be the chief officer who will have the duty of overseeing all casino-related activity in the state.

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