In a development that may spellš doom for the casino industry, Goaās state government has witnessed a change with the right-wing alliance led bą± y
Though it was the BJP-supported government which had issued the first casino licenses in 1999, the BJP had been fighting the current elections on aā±n āanti-casinoā plank. BJP chief ministerial candidate Manohar Parrikar had declared that casinos are a nuisance and promised that
Reports have indicated that though the BJP is not entirely keen to remove casinos but wants casinos to be bound by strict regulations like banning entry to Goan residents and those below 21 years of age and having limited number of offshorš¦¹e casinos.
Parrikar had also indicateź§d that casino licenses might not be scrapped due to legal complications like violating license agreements signed by the previous government, though he added that he was not kā¤een on issuing new license or renewing the licenses of offshore casinos.
Earlier senior BJP leader Fransico Dāsouza had also stated that the party only hasIt may be noted that the Goa legislative assembly amended tšÆhe Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act 1976 to allow casinos in 1992 and 1996 when Congress-led governments were in power.
It would be interesting to understand how the BJP goveārnment reconciles between its ideological opposition to casinos and the necessity of having casinos due to its However, one thing is certain- the casino industry shall hį¦ave to brace for stricter regulations and possibly face shutdown in the near future.