India: Goa casinos to reopen November 1

Casinos have been granted permission to pay their licence fees on a monthly basis instead of an annual payment.  

India.- Casinos in the state of Goa will be able to reopen at 50 per cent capacity as of November 1, local authorities have confirmed.  

Venues were closed in March on account of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said: “Casinos will start from November 1. We have given them permission. They will have to follow all the SOPs as issued to them by the Home Department. They will have to operate with 50 per cent capacity. We need to promote tourism activity”  

Sawant also said that instead of paying annual fees, casino operators could now pay for their licence fees on a monthly basis.  

Goa has six operational offshore casinos, which are anchored in the Mandovi river off Panaji, as well as 10 land-based casinos. The land-based venues are mainly within resorts on the state’s coastal belt.

Delta Corp, the largest casino operator in India, announced it will restart operations in November under the conditions stipulated by the authorities.  

It said in a release that its “casino in Sikkim will resume operations from November 1, 2020, in accordance with applicable safety norms prescribed by the Government of Sikkim and Central Government.”