Goa chief minister denies claims of illegal live gambling at onshore casinos
Chief minister Pramod Sawant said the government conducts regular inspections of casinos.
India.- Goa’s chief minister Pramod Sawant has denied that live gambling is happening in onshore casinos after a complaint was made by the leader of the opposition, Yuri Alemao, during the last legislative assembly.
Alemao claimed that onshore casinos were offering prohibited games and that this could undermine the state’s efforts to regulate gambling. However, Sawant said the government conducts regular inspections and suspends licences if casinos are found to be offering live gambling.
According to The Times of India, Alemao questioned why the gaming commissioner is not a full-time position and asked Sawant how many inspections the commissioner had carried out. The chief minister said the government had received four complaints of illegal gambling at Chances Casino, Win Grand Seven Casino, Ocean Seven Casino and Big Daddy, which were being investigated.
The leader of the opposition also said casinos owe Rs 350 crore (US$40.89m), of which Rs 110 crore (US$12.85m) was held up due to court cases. Sawant said the government “We will recover 100 per cent of the dues.”
There are currently 15 onshore casinos in Goa. They are allowed to offer electronic and slot machines.
