India: casinos in Goa may return to 100% capacity

Authorities are analysing the possibility of allowing entertainment venues, including casinos, to resume operations at full capacity due to a significant drop in Covid-19 cases.

India.- Pramod Sawant, chief minister of Goa, is considering announcing a return of Indian Super League (ISL) matches, casinos and movie halls to full capacity. Casinos were allowed to reopen for those who are fully vaccinated or provide a negative Covid-19 test in September 2021 but at limited capacity.

According to the ministry of health, Goa recorded 16 new cases of Covid-19 and three deaths on Wednesday.

Sawant said: “In view of less positivity rate, the expert committee has advised resuming economic activities with 100 per cent capacity. The government will take the decision by tomorrow [Friday] and will resume the activities including casinos.”

Delta Corp to replace Goa casino boat to increase capacity

Delta Corp‘s new casino ship, which is being built to replace the Deltin Caravela, will offer a 2.5-fold increase in capacity. According to Hardik Dhebar, Delta Corp’s chief financial officer, capacity had become an issue during peak periods when managers had to close channels to comply with Covid-19 restrictions.

The company is also planning an initial public offering for its online unit, targeting the first or second quarter of the current fiscal year, which starts on April 1. According to Asian Gaming Brief, some of the cash will be used to expand Gaussian Networks, which runs the Adda52 online poker site. 

Online poker is a niche market, and the company plans to introduce a multi-game platform to offer other games of skill, such as rummy and fantasy sports, Dhebar said. Those games will reach a wider mass market, he said.