Goa will create a regulatory authority for land-based casinos

Goa is currently the only state in India that has authorised land-based casinos in their territory.
Now it is necessary that a regulatory authority must be established to control this industry.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the party in power.
There are currently five offshore casinos and dozens of smaller casinos at the coast of this touristy area.
The government will look at the Gambling Commission of the American state Nevada for inspiration of their own regulatory body.
Responsibilities will include checking the payouts of the casino games and fighting against gambling addiction, money-laundering and illegal gambling.

Floating casinos

There are currently five riverboat casinos in state of Goa in India .
Each of them obtained a gaming license that will expire in December 2015.
On Wednesday, August 6, the Prime Minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar, indicated that these offshore operators have to move their ships on the Mondovi River to the city of Panaji by December 3, 2015.
This decision follows an announcement made last year by the same politician who informed them that the licences would not be renewed unless the vessels move to a different anchoring location.
The river in question has been deemed too dangerous for swimming and fishing.
This is exactly the type of case that can be managed by the new regulatory authority of the state once it has been established.

Hot spots for tourists

Over the years, the casinos of Goa have become major attractions, and they drove millions of tourists to visit the smallest state of India.
Due to various gambling taxes, the government earns more then $22 million per year (€16.5 million).
There are currently over a dozen casinos in the region, including five floating casinos, which we already mentioned above.
All these establishments welcome an average of 15,000 people every day. Many people come to Goa mainly for playing casino games, and most of the other tourists also visit a casino over the course of their stay.
These entertainment facilities are essential for the economy of the state, and this emphasises the importance to establish a regulatory authority for the industry as soon as possible.