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Goa to promote casino culture to boost revenues

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji, Goa

Goa's tourism minister Churchill Alemao has decided to reverse an earlier decision of his government and flood the state with casinos.

"I will begin with a few casinos on board in offshore vessels," he announced on the eve of World Tourism Day on September 27. He has even plans to have one Marina kind of ship anchored in the river Mandovi, at the old Bombay jetty in Panaji.

The Goa Public Gambling Act 1976, actually meant for prohibiting public gambling of any kind, has been amended twice by the Congress in the last decade to allow certain a kind of gambling.

The first one was to allow electronic slot machines of even roulette games in the five-star hotels. While foreigners are found to be staying away from it calling it 'kidz games', these casinos are found flooded with rich Indian tourists as well as Goan youth.

The second one was in July 1996, when former chief minister Pratapsing Rane managed to pass the amendment, allowing table games and gaming on board in offshore vessels.

But stiff opposition from the opposition parties and several non-government organisations finally compelled Rane to amend his plans by February 1997. He then restricted the offshore casinos only to electronic games. Alemao now plans to bring back the original amendment.

"We want 'good tourists' who will spend lots of money and help Goan economy to boost further," says Alemao, claiming that sex tourism is not part of casino culture and Goa cannot be finished due to casinos.

In fact, in addition, he also plans to have at least two golf courses -- in the south and the north -- to attract quality tourists here. Claiming that Rane was misguided by few environmentalists, he flays the allegation that golf courses would create water scarcity. "It would store rain water in ponds and run it," he adds.

"How long the small state of hardly 1.4 million can go on taxing the people ? I want revenue and casinos and golf courses can give it to me," he says. He firmly believes that revenue earned on casinos itself is enough to run the whole government here.

Allaying the fears that casinos would affect the local populace like in other parts of the world where casinos exist, Alemao has decided to charge annual membership fees of Rs 200,000 to Rs 300,000 in order to discourage the locals from playing gambling.

He, however, refuses to even listen that casinos have spoiled the whole environment and even local culture and traditions of the places in many parts of the world. "It is a misconception spread by those who are opposed to development," he alleges.

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