Goa to shut offshore casinos

MUMBAI: Five of the six offshore casinos in Goa, that are operating ���without proper permits��� will soon find their vessels sealed by the state. And the sixth one MV Arabian Sea King���s, spared of the action for now, can function till its licence expires in October.

The five casinos, MV Pride of Goa, MV The Leela, MV Casino Royale, MV San Domingo and MV Caravela, berthed on river Mondovi without proper licence and ���no objection certificates��� from port authorities will have to stop all activity, state minister of port Francisco Pacheco told the state assembly.

Offshore casinos have been under the scanner for a while now with locals and many NGOs raising concerns of their impact on state���s culture. The opposition BJP too has pointed out the absence of any licensing authority for these casinos. Following the sealing of the casinos, the state exchequer is likely to lose close to Rs 90 crore.

Currently, the state���s revenue from casinos stands at Rs 50 crore. In the state budget, presented last week, it had even announced a 10-fold increase in casino entry fee to Rs 2,000 per person to mop up additional revenue of Rs 36.50 crore per year. For now, the casino operators are engaged in legal battle over the government decision to move casino vessels deeper into the sea.