BJP took just 13 of 40 seats
The conservative Bharatiya Janata Party of India, voted back into office last month in the Indian state of Goa, has reportedly stepped back from its promise to close all casinos there. The BJP made the same promise before the last election in 2012, then failed to close a single casino and even added to the offshore fleet. A sixth floating gaming license was issued following a ruling from the Mumbai High Court, reported the Asia Gaming Brief.
In the previous election, the BJP won an outright majority. This time, it won just 13 of 40 seats for the Goa legislative assembly. It was asked to form a government after demonstrating it had the support of nine independent parliamentarians, reported the World Casino Directory.
Now BJP Governor Mridula Sinha says the state’s casinos should be allowed to stay open if they remain in accordance with local regulations. “One can’t shut them down since a lot of tourists and visitors frequent them,” said Sinha. “Instead of banning them we should keep a strict watch on their activities.”
Goa now has 15 casinos including the six offshore facilities on the Mandovi River. During the campaign, the opposition Indian National Congress and Aam Aadmi Party pledged they would close the facilities, which contributed approximately $19 million to the state in 2016. The Aam Aadmi Party did not gain any seats in the legislative assembly. The Indian National Congress is to be the second largest political party in the state after winning 17 seats.
