Panaji: State govt on Tuesday approved the Goa Public Gambling Rules to regulate casino operations in the state. The rules are likely to be notified later month.Chief minister Pramod Sawant approved the file after it was sent to him by the home department. After Sawant’s nod, the rules were sent to the law department, which vetted the rules.
A senior govt official said that once the casino rules are notified, the gaming commissioner will be fully functional. “We will put up the rules for cabinet approval this month (March) and once the cabinet approves it, we will notify them,” he said.There are around 12 onshore casinos and six offshore casinos operating in the state.The official said that “presently there is no mechanism in place” to check the profile of every casino client and understand the source of money — whether from legal or illegal sources. The official said that there is no mechanism in place to understand the amount of money spent by a casino client while playing at any offshore or onshore casino.The official officer said that as per the proposed rules, the gaming commissioner will have the power to issue entry tickets to casinos. Presently, they are issued by the casino operators.Once the rules come into force, the gaming commissioner will maintain a record of the number of visitors to a casino. “The next day, the gaming commissioner will be able to check the inventory to find how many people entered the casino,” he said.The proposed rules also give the commissioner the right to order closure, to seal any casino in a 5-star hotel, or to take custody of any casino vessel if there are any violations, the official said.As per the draft rules, the gaming commissioner is empowered to exercise control over the games conducted Once the rules come into force, the commissioner will monitor the casino operations.
