Government Minister: Goa will not legalize casinos

“By giving licenses to casinos, it will become difficult to prevent gambling, betting, and lotteries legally” government minister Satish Mahana has said.

India.- Uttar Pradesh Minister of Industrial Development, Satish Mahana, has said that its government will not allow casinos in Goa due to moral and economic reasons.

In the state assembly, Mahana answered a question put to his Bharatiya Janata Party colleague, Harshvardhan Bajpai, who suggested that casino development might boost tourism, increase tax revenue, and eliminate illegal gambling rackets.

“No, a casino is a certain type of gambling facility. By giving licenses to casinos, it will become difficult to prevent gambling, betting, and lotteries legally”, he explained.

Last week, Goa Ports Minister, Michael Lobo, called for gambling to be legalized and regulated in a bid to drive employment and tax revenues in the state.

The BJP government in Goa allows licensed casinos but in a recent order it banned local residents from visiting them.