Andhra Pradesh considers legalization of offshore casinos

The state government of Andhra Pradesh, which last month moved to ban all online gambling, is now said to be considering the legalization of casino gambling on ships that would occupy waters off the Visakhapatnam coast.

“The state has reached out to the center for these floating casinos off the Visakhapatnam coast," a government official told the local media.

Goa’s policy of allowing floating casinos on the Mandovi River, itself a controversial policy, is seen as a model for the Andhra Pradesh initiative.

Andhra Pradesh has a coastline about 975 kilometers in length along the Bay of Bengal.

The fund-starved state is also exploring the feasibility of raising funds through the lottery business as an alternative approach.

Even before the Covid-19 crisis, the state was in dire need of revenues to promote local development and has been grappling with a local financial crisis.

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