Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister of the Indian state of Goa, revealed that local residents are set to be suspended from placing bets in Goan land-based and offshore casinos as of February 1st, 2020.
Mr. Sawant also revealed that within a couple of days, a Gaming Commission that is set to be responsible for monitoring and regulation of the casino industry would be established. The Commission would be the authority empowered to protect Goa residents from gambling in casinos and the possible harm that could be inflicted on them.
The Chief Minister said that all Goans would be restricted from entering casino venues for playing purposes as of February 1st. Local people would still be able to work in the sector but will no longer be allowed to place bets.
Promises for more serious actions aimed at restricting local people from gambling in casinos have been made before Sawant’s time, too. Chief Ministers Digambar Kamat, Laxmikant Parsekar and Manohar Parrikar had also given promises to take such measures but their assurances had never gotten to something more serious. All the efforts that have been made in this direction have finally given results, with the competent authorities in Goa hoping to better protect people from gambling-related harm.
A few months ago, in August 2019, Sawant informed the Legislative Assembly that Goan residents will be suspended form entering local casinos as part of the gambling policy of the Government. At the time when it was announced, the move caused certain controversy but since there was no timeline given for the implementation of the ban, it has remained unclear when the change will happen.
A Specialized Gaming Commissioner Set to Regulate the Industry
Yesterday, Chief Minister Sawant’s policy finally reached fruition, with him announcing that the ban would take effect on February 1st, as soon as a Gambling Commission to regulate the sector is officially established by the Government.
As explained by Mr. Sawant, it is the Commercial Tax Commissioner that will be empowered to act as a Gaming Commissioner. As part of its responsibilities, it would be able to enforce the casino entry ban and would also be able to check whether Goans are gambling in violation of the suspension. The Gaming Commission is likely to be formed using the model of the Nevada Gaming Commission, as revealed by the Chief Minister. The body would be also responsible for formulating rules and regulations for the local gambling and casino industry.
For the time being, there are nine land-based and six offshore casinos operating in the state of Goa. The offshore casino venues currently offer their services on luxury boats anchored in the Mandovi River, while the land-based casino operations are hosted by some 5-star hotels situated across the state.
