The Indian state of Goa and its authorities are putting in quite the effort to improve the gambling industry in the region and boost its performance. However, one of the recent moves of the government caused an immediate response from the companies operating in the field, as many of them were dissatisfied with the unwanted increase of the license fees for casino operators. The introduced a counter proposal which, if greenlighted, could see them offering live gaming in the foreseeable future.
It could be recalled, that back in December 2017 the authorities in the state made it clear that the year of 2018 will be dedicated to many improvements in the gambling field with the ultimate objective to make it more appealing to both gambling enthusiasts and casino operators alike. Back then it became clear that the government is looking for ways in which it could implement its new gambling policy which was still in its draft state then. The new policy was going to shift offshore casino venues out of the River Mandovi and the plan was for it to happen in a well-defined time frame, as to create a seamless transition.
Now the onshore casino venues in operation have been looking for ways in which they can state their position regarding the proposed annual license fee which was made public recently According to the proposed changes the annual license fees should raise from Rs85,000,000 for casinos with gaming area of 1000 square meters to Rs400,000,000. According to developers working in the field, the said fee should be designed in a way that is proportionate to the general operation rate of the facilities.
Kundan Shetye is working on the promotion of Grand 7 Casino and according to his statement, the drastic increase in the annual license fees could prove to be devastating for the businesses operating onshore.
Alternative Proposal for the Industry
In order to make the situation clear, it should be taken into account that when it comes to the casino venues operating offshore, the increase in the annual license fees has been three to four times, which is less than what the onshore gambling facilities could be subjected to.
A four to five times increase could be expected, which might end up putting many businesses to the test. Even though the hike of the fees is still just a proposition and it has not been made official, the operators in the field are already concerned by it and are proposing better solutions for the future operation.
According to experts in the field now would be a good time for the introduction of live dealing in the casino facilities. The coastal state is expected to benefit from the introduction of new offerings, such as live casino gaming since this type of gambling activity enjoys quite the attention around the globe and could potentially attract new gambling enthusiasts to the location.