The state government of Kerala, India, is considering licensing coastal casinos, but is in no hurry to advance the idea.
According to Asia Gaming Brief, in recent comments before the Legislative Assembly last week, Kerala Excise Minister T. P. Ramakrishnan said, “The government has not yet decided to give permission to casinos in coastal areas,” leaving the open to casinos in in the future.
Kerala is located south of Goa, which has seemingly never made peace with its own casino industry, which includes land-based and riverboat gaming. Goa recently banned locals from entering its 12 casinos, and has argued for years about the proliferation of casino boats on the Mandovi River, promising time and time again to relocate them.
In 2019, the Kerala High Court ruled that playing rummy for stakes is considered gambling and thus an offense under the 1960 Kerala Gaming Act. The ruling was considered a huge blow to online rummy and to skill gaming in India.
