The government of Goa in India has failed again to procure a new site for casino ships operating offshore, on the Mandovi River. The boats continue to operate almost six years after lawmakers promised to move them.
The lengthy saga began in 2012, when residents complained the boats disrupt the local fishing industry; the boats were originally due to move in 2014, when their licenses expired. Since then, lawmakers have offered repeated extensions to the operators.
The government has claimed it can find no suitable place to relocate the boats; Asia Gaming Brief reports that sites at Aguada Bay, Zuari, Chapora and River Sal were dismissed after intense local opposition. The government last year indicated that it may create a special gaming zone for casinos near the proposed international airport at Mopa in North Goa.
Given the push to remove the casino boats from the river, the government has also come under pressure to restart deliberations on a casino policy. However, the report said so far there has been no progress, despite rules having been drafted in 2013, AGB reported.
Former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had announced a plan to shift the casinos to a location on land and to appoint a gaming commissioner. However, the proposal stalled after Parrikar’s death earlier this year.
