The government of Goa is examining a set of rules that will ban locals from entering and gambling in 14 casinos—eight land-based and six offshore—located in the state.
Tourism in Goa remains gambling-related
Casinos in Goa have emerged as the state’s new attractions, pulling domestic and foreign tourists to visit the state, which has been positioning itself as a gambling destination. Like its Asian neighbors, the Goa government has been facilitating the expansion of casinos with a goal of potentially attracting a huge number of tourists who otherwise might not consider visiting the state.
States officials have long stressed that “casinos are essentially for tourists,” although that hasn’t stopped locals from entering the casino halls. An ENV Media report, titled “Overview of Goa’s casinos communities,” noted that “locals are reported to outnumber tourists at land-based casinos” citing local media that reported “shares between 50% and 80% of all onshore casino visitors” are local residents.
This is the reason why the proposed ban on locals’ entry can affect the casinos—and ultimately, Goa—in the long run.
In January 2021, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told the assembly in January that “draft rules banning entry of Goa residents in casinos are under consideration of the state government.” Casinos in the state are governed by the Goa Gambling Act, and an amendment to the legislation is needed before the government can ban locals from entering casinos in the state.
If this law passes, Goa’s land-based casinos stand to lose at least 50 percent of its revenue stream—and as analysts at ENV Media pointed out, will only result in a blowback for the state government.
“Almost inevitably, the motion is set to fail whether the Government might admit it or not. The majority of casino visitors and related personnel are local Goans, making the solution essentially unsustainable. But the issue has become political, first and foremost,” according to the ENV Media study. “The State does not have sufficient high-end tourism appeal, and attempting to position it on such markets would not bring adequate benefits.”
Regulated online gambling can help Goa recover losses
Despite not being able to currently promote tourism, online casinos have left their mark in Goa, and across India as well. With consumers shifting to digital environments—especially as the COVID-19 related lockdowns continue—there is now a push in many industries to adapt to the changing times, which ultimately results in better tax collection for governments like Goa.
In the case of Goa, the addition of online casinos like Purewin.com might just push the state’s gambling fame to new heights as it brings in more online gamers and even next-generation revenue streams.
“There are many intersection points between the growth of online gaming and the current state of the Goa gambling industry. Gambling practices within local communities affect player acquisition but are increasingly influenced by the availability of remote gambling operators – often offshore, in the sense of foreign and faraway offshore,” according to ENV Media analysts. “Digital entertainment is increasingly popular in all of its shapes, and online (mobile) gaming has not been an exception in tech-savvy India and its well-developed state of Goa. Internet gaming has already nurtured a community of gamblers who tend to look for safe, legitimate, and regulated gaming platforms.”
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