G20 Summit in Goa: Casino branding goes into hiding

The Goa government, which has a policy of promoting casinos to attract high-end tourists, appears uneasy about showcasing it to delegates arriving in Goa for G20 meetings scheduled from April to July this year.

To protect Goa's reputation from tarnishing, metal barricades with casino branding in Panaji have been covered with white cloth pieces overnight as the G20 meetings started in the state capital on April 17.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the meetings in Goa feature over 180 representatives from 19 G20 member countries, ten invited states, and 22 international organisations. Discussions on three goals determined as part of the G20 Health Track will be the focus of the second Health Working Group meeting.

Surendra Furtado, a former Panaji mayor, expressed surprise at the Goa government's decision to cover road barricades supplied by casinos through their CSR funds in Panaji. “The purpose was to conceal the names of the casino operators so that the influence of the casinos on the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-led government would not be noticeable to the G20 delegates,” he said.

Furtado added, “People in Panaji have gotten acclimated to casinos and understand that some state legislators and the BJP government have been close with the casino lobby from the beginning. Therefore, it stinks of hypocrisy when the BJP fails to properly recognise the casinos for international and national events even though they receive support from the BJP administration.

“I am confident that the world understands that the Goa government depends entirely on casinos for its survival,” he continued.

The history of casinos in Goa can be traced back to the early 1990s when Amendments to the Goa, Daman, and Diu Public Gambling Act, 1976, were first introduced by the state government, legalising casinos in the former Portuguese colony. However, in the early 2000s, the first offshore casinos were established in Goa to meet the demands of the increasing number of tourists visiting the state.

“Is a casino industry-sponsored Panaji only for the local Goans to see? What are you ashamed of showing to the delegates? Why cannot there be the same parameters for Goans and visitors,” said Goa Pradesh Youth Congress President Joel Andrade.   

Currently, there are ten onshore casinos and six offshore casinos in operation. The number of onshore casinos is expected to rise, while the Goa cabinet has placed a cap on offshore casinos.

In 2021, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant informed the state assembly that the casino industry had contributed revenue of over Rs 1277.29 crore to the State exchequer since 2012. Currently, onshore casinos in Goa have recurring fees ranging from Rs 10 crore to Rs 40 crore, while offshore casinos have recurring fees between Rs 25 crore to Rs 40 crore. The annual recurring fee generated by all the casinos for the financial year 2022-23 is estimated at Rs 320 crore.