Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: Over a year after notifying the Goa Public Gaming Act, 2012, the successive BJP led State government is yet to finalize the rules to regulate the operations of casinos in the coastal State.
Though, the govenment led by the three Chief Minister’s- late Manohar Parrikar, Laxmikant Parsekar and now Pramod Sawant have not missed out to prominently announce in the last 12 State Budget that Government will frame the rules shortly, the Rules are yet to see the day of light.
In the State Budget 2023-24 presented on March 29, the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that the “government intends to notify the new Rules for casino operationa in the State under the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act 1976 to regulate casinos in the State”.
Speaking to reporters in a post Budget press conference, Sawant said that the draft rules are under examination of the Law department and the same would be tabled in the monsoon session, which will be held in July-August.
In its Action Taken Report on Budget 2022-23, the Chief Minister has reiterated that the rules are vetted by Law Department and File is under submission to Finance Department (Exp).
Goa has around six offshore casinos and more than a dozen of land casinos operational.
The state government had notified the Goa Public Gaming Act, 2012,and it was announced that rules will be framed to regulate the casino industry including banning the entry of Goans into the casinos.
In 2020, the Act was amended to ban the entry of Goans into the casinos in the state from February 1, 2020, and appointed the commissioner of commercial tax as the gaming commissioner, to keep tab.however, the rules to ban the same and appoint the Gaming commissioner.
As per the act, the gaming commissioner has to issue a ‘tourist permit’, authorising tourists to enter the areas designated for gambling.
The gaming commissioner is empowered to exercise overall control over the games conducted in the designated areas, and is also authorised to maintain the records and documents in connection with the games.
