Casinos in Goa extend closure until June 7

The state government has decided to extend Covid-19 countermeasures in Goa until June 7.

India.- Authorities in Goa have extended the state’s Covid-19 countermeasures for a further four days. The latest period of closure was to end on May 31 but has been extended until June 7.

Casinos in Goa have been closed since April 29 as India suffers a huge rate of Covid-19 cases. The Ministry of Health has reported 132,788 new cases in the last 24 hours.

Under current restrictions, only essential services are allowed. Goa’s casinos must remain closed, along with gyms, colleges, schools and bars.

Restaurants, pharmacies and medical stories can operate from 7am to 7pm, while liquor and food stores are allowed to operate from 7am to 1pm.

Goa’s casino operators have been deeply affected by the measures. Last month, Delta Corp asked authorities for a waiver on licence fees due to the impact on its venues.

Delta Corp reported that it is debt-free and has adequate liquidity available to comply with its liabilities and obligations, but management asked the state government of Goa for a reduced payment mechanism for its casino licence fees for the period from April 2020 to October 2020. 

India seeks to change the valuation of casinos

The Indian federal government is seeking to change the valuation of casinos, online gambling portals and racecourses for levying goods and services tax (GST).

According to the Business Standard newspaper, a seven-member panel of state ministers has started to examine the possibility of changing the way gambling services are valued for the tax.

The terms of reference (ToR) say the group of state ministers will “examine the issue of valuation of services provided by casinos, racecourses, and online gaming portals and taxability of certain transactions in a casino, about the current legal provisions and orders of courts.”