At least one more year of operations
The government of the Indian state of Goa, which has promised to move four offshore casino vessels out of the River Mandovi, says doing so would be counterproductive and possibly prevent future investment in the vicinity, according to India Today.
“If we move offshore casinos arbitrarily or terminate their operations, it will damage investor’s confidence in the government,” said BJP Goa Unit Chief Vinay Tendulkar.
In April, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar announced the deadline for relocating the casino cruises would be postponed “until suitable alternative sites are finalized.” A previous deadline to move the ships came and went on March 31, and Parsekar said the casinos will continue at their current location for one more year.
In addition to four offshore casinos, Goa has more than a dozen land-based gaming halls. Recently, United Breweries Chairman Vijay Mallya entered a bid to bring his own offshore gambling boat, an effort that went down in defeat, perhaps due to his rapidly declining reputation in India.
