Goa residents to be banned from betting

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced yesterday that all residents of the Indian state will be banned from placing bets in Goa’s onshore and offshore casinos as of February 1.

He also announced that he will shortly appoint the nation’s first gaming commissioner. “All Goans will be banned from entering casinos for playing purposes from February 1. They can continue to work in the industry, but will not be allowed to gamble,” Sawant told reporters.

He added: “The new gaming commissioner will enforce the ban and will have the powers to check if any local Goan is gambling.”

he first onshore casinos in Goa were licensed in the early 1990s, with the offshore casino industry getting its start later in the decade. There are now about a dozen onshore and six offshore casinos legally operating in the state. Still, there has been little effort by the local government to rationalise the regulatory regime.

Source: Asia Gaming Brief