Goa’s Move To Shift Floating Casinos To Land Will Benefit Industry: Delta Corp
Goa government’s decision to shift casinos to land will provide more stability to Delta Corp’s business.
Delta Corp Ltd., the biggest casino operator in Goa, said the state government’s decision to shift casinos to land will provide more stability to its business.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday announced in the state’s legislative assembly that all offshore or floating casinos would have to shift to land-based operations within three years. The casino industry had been demanding this for long.
There were concerns regarding floating casinos, including traffic on the Mandovi river, “unfounded pollution issues” and disturbance to fishing which is also invalid as barges will continue plying in the Mandovi, Jaydev Mody, chairman at Delta Corp, told BloombergQuint in an email on Tuesday.
“This (land-based) concept of the government seeks to address all these concerns, whether valid or not,” he said. Delta Corp runs three offshore casinos – Deltin Royale, Deltin Jaqk and Deltin Caravela – in Goa.
There are six offshore and 10 land-based casinos in Goa. Live gaming where the stakes can go high is permitted only on the floating casinos, which puts the transfer and renewal of licences at stake.
Mody said for the gaming companies, this would mean that the business would become more scalable.
Delta Corp Ltd. is drawing up plans for how it will comply with the government’s directions as soon as the rules are framed and the Act is amended. We see this as a positive for the industry and for the company.Jaydev Mody, Chairman, Delta Corp
Chief Minister Parrikar said in the assembly that the casino business brought jobs, revenues and enhanced the state’s tourism industry. Shutting them completely would hurt investor sentiment, he said.