Goa casinos get another extension

Offshore gaming venues will now have until September 30 to relocate out of the Mandovi river.

India.- A draft policy to regulate the casino industry in the Indian state of Goa has yet to be drafted, and casinos seem to have benefited from the situation. The state government has announced a further extensions for gaming companies, which has added yet more time to operate on the Mandovi river.

The extension by the authorities has pushed the deadline to get the business out of the water from March 31 to September 30, 2019, another six months. That continues to add up to a massive delay to get them to relocate, a measure which was set to be enforced in August 2014, but has been delayed over and over again.

“The casino lobby is deciding the policy of the government. Why else would the extension be given without any cabinet discussion?” Congress party spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar said. “BJP won the elections by promising to shut down casinos but since then they have diluted their stand saying one day that the gaming commission will be formed or a new casino policy will be notified. Sometimes they say that the casinos will be relocated. But nothing happens,” he added.