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Goa government to introduce 9th onshore casino

Always under the spotlight, Goa is undergoing tremendous changes lately. One of the most visited tourist destinations in India, this coastal state offers a broad spectrum of gaming activities and of course home to some of the finest casinos and poker players in the country.

A couple of days back, Ports Minister of Goa, Michael Lobo suggested that more casinos should be introduced in the state realizing its importance to boost Goa’s economy. The state government has granted permission to open a casino in a starred hotel at Kadamba plateau which would be the ninth onshore casino in the state.

There has been a constant turmoil regarding the offshore vessels floating in River Mandovi for a few years now. The government planned on moving ships to a more suitable location at Aguada Bay. This year in January, the Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant stated that the casinos are for tourists and visitors are attracted to Goa just to play in these casinos. Therefore, his decision was firm that Goans will no more be allowed to enter casinos and a newly designated commissioner will be appointed to monitor the operations.

Sawant cleared the file to start the 29 tables and 100 capacity gaming club which will comprise 17 electronic card games, four roulettes, five slot machines, and a money wheel. Earlier, the state had granted 11 licenses to onshore casinos out of which three shut their operations after the government hiked various license fees in March 2018.

Currently, eight onshore casinos are running in North Goa, there is no restriction on granting licenses as long as they meet the criteria provided by the government. However, the state will come out with rules for the functioning of the gaming commissioner. In the year 2015, the home department had drafted rules which read that any person under 21 would be arrested from entering the casino premises.

For the latest updates on Goa and poker industry news, keep reading GutshotMagazine.com and stay tuned!

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