Goa to finalize rules that ban locals from casinos

Sunday 8th of May 2016

The Goa government has declared it will notify the Gaming Commission Rules for casinos, which will place a ban on local Goans entering casinos, local media reports.

Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, who had received the draft rules from the Home Department, said ‘he was studying the same’.

The ban comes 10 months before the State Legislative Assembly election.

In early January, Laxmikant Parsekar informed the State Assembly that his government was drafting new rules to ban entry of those below 21 years of age to casinos. The casino industry in the state has faced criticism, with a section of society claiming that the sector is turning underage youth into gamblers.

Today, Goa has 14 onshore and four off-shore casinos in river Mandovi.

“The draft rules have been formulated after taking into account the ill-effects of the casinos on the locals during the past few years,” said Parsekar, quoted by The Hindu, who also added the decision would be in the best interest of Goan families.

The new rules will force Goans to seek special permission from the Gaming Commissioner to enter into casinos.

The rules will also make it mandatory for casino owners to obtain photo identity of the visitors, including tourists visiting the licensed premises of the casinos.

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