Goa casinos to ban entry of people below 21 from ​next financial year

PANAJI: People below 21 years of age will not be allowed to enter casinos in Goa with the state home ministry having drawn up draft rules seeking such a ban.

The draft rules are likely to be notified from the next financial year, a senior official said.

"The draft rules were sent to the law department for vetting and seeking its opinion. We have received the file back. Some minor changes are needed to be done and we will be notifying the rules by the coming financial year," Additional Secretary (Home) Sanjiv Gadkar said.

The rules, which mandate the appointment of a Gaming Commissioner as the regulating authority for casinos, will have to be placed for clearance before the state Cabinet.

Once the rules are notified, a person entering casino will have to carry a document to certify his age as being above 21 years, he said.

The ruling BJP, in its manifesto for the 2012 Goa Assembly polls, had assured it would ban the entry of people below 21 into casinos.

Goa has four off-shore casino vessels and several on-shore gaming dens operating at five-star hotels.