Residents may be banned from casinos in Goa

Officials are currently considering a set of new rules under which Goa residents would be banned from visiting local casinos.

India.- Goa residents may be banned from visiting local casinos under the new gambling rules currently considered by officials with the aim of regulating the state gambling industry. There are 14 land-based and 4 offshore casinos operating in the western Indian state of Goa.

Laxmikant Parsekar, Goa Chief Minister, said that local officials made the decision to introduce such rules due to the negative effects gambling venues have had on residents of the state over the past several years.

Under the new regulations, Goans will be banned from entering local casinos unless they are granted a special permission from the state Gaming Commissioner, all gambling-related advertisements will have to be approved by the local gambling regulator, each casino owner would have to obtain photo identity of their customers, both Goa residents and tourists and the Gaming Commissioner will be responsible for regulating the state gambling industry.

Moreover, casino visitors will have to arrange their visits at the reception or the gaming area, Goa’s 18 casinos will need to ensure that they have captured video images of all customers and to keep those records for a 30-day period from the end of each calendar month. The new casino regulations also call for an increase in the existing entry fee.