Goa Government Keen to Restrict Offshore Casino Operations; CM Manohar Parrikar Says No Relation Between Casinos & Local Crime Rate

Goa Casinos have been in the spotlight ever since the industry became public, the industry has literally seen it all and the issues are simply becoming murkier as each day progresses.

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has once again expressed his reservations about operations of casinos in the state. Although he stated that there was no co-relation between the casino industry and the coastal state’s crime rate, he said his government was serious about removing casinos from River Mandovi.

In a written reply to a question asked by leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar in the legislative assembly the Congress MLA asked whether crime rate had increased in Goa due to casino operations. Parrikar who also holds the State Finance portfolio said that there has been no link between casino industry and crime rate.

On the contrary, he stated that while revenue earned from the casino industry had doubled over the last two years, the crime rate had decreased in the last three years, with 4467 criminal cases reported in 2014, 3074 cases in 2015 and 2693 in 2016 respectively.

Parrikar had no hesitation in further stating that the revenues generated by the state exchequer over the last three fiscals from casinos had increased substantially. While the state earned ₹78.62 crore in 2014-16 from the casino industry in form of various taxes, the same shot up to ₹161.96 crore in the year 2016-17.

He however reaffirmed that the government is keen to remove casinos out of River Mandovi and will soon come out with some orders.

Parrikar said that the Congress government had granted all six casinos licenses when Ponda MLA Ravi Naik was the Home Minister and the amendment to the Gambling Act for floating casinos was introduced during the Congress government.

However, he went on to clarify, “I cannot throw the investors who had invested hugely in Goa and which were brought in by you (Congress) and now asking me to clear this mess. I have not given license to the seventh casino which is lying in the river for last eight years. Right now, only five licenses are operational, the sixth license is renewed only on court’s direction,”

Currently five offshore casinos are operating in River Mandovi with around 10 onshore casinos in the state with most of them restricted to five-star hotels.

He said that his government has not increased even a single casino license in River Mandovi. Further speaking about the recent grounding of the sixth casino vessel MV Lucky Seven off Miramar, he said that it was a court order and on that basis, they were trying to come into the river.

Meanwhile, the sixth vessel’s propulsion system has been destroyed after the recent incident and it may move out of Goa for repair work.