Goa Blog

A casino owner feels that casinos are the new emerging attractions for tourists visiting Goa, the ultimate tourist destination. He states, Sand is silent, seashore is violent and sun ceases to exist. Unwilling to be named, he argues. Sun, sand and sea have become the stale items now, and people want something new for entertainment. Else, why should they spend so much of money to come to Goa?

Speaking to “The Navhind Times”, he laments absence of nightlife in Goa. He says, Foreigners come here, take sunbath from morning to evening and have a good dinner at a restaurant. But they don’t have any night entertainment. And here casinos come into the picture. Casinos help them in providing alternate entertainment. If this entertainment is robbed from them, then why should they visit Goa, however, beautiful and attractive it may be?

The onshore casino owner also has a valid point. He says, The tourism sector has not been able to take care of the needs of the tourists in right perspective and offer them an alternate entertainment. Opining that a professionally managed casino with a clean environment could succeed in checking the flow of the tourists to Kerala and Karnataka, the casino owner says, We have to change our approach and mindset to save Goa from losing its luster by encouraging casinos.

Speaking about problems faced by casinos, the casino owner observes that the casino business has been affected by global meltdown. There are too many casinos, some of which face up to agitations against them. Besides, casinos have to pay heavy taxes.
He says that Goa should welcome the tourists who otherwise would go to Nepal, a haven for casinos. Nepal has gone through turbulent time, which has affected casino business there and driven away the casino-visiting tourists.

If we don’t welcome the tourists, we will lose heavy revenue by way of annual fees, income tax and central tax, he says. On Goans visiting the casinos, he claims that the casinos have not spoilt the Goan society. Hardly 5 to 10 per cent of the clients are Goans. Foreigners constitute a majority of 40 to 50 per cent. The rest are domestic tourists, particularly the north Indians who frequent these spots. He points out that the only Goans who come to the casinos are businessmen and retirees. But they do not play for more than 15 to 30 minutes.

Our main customers are mostly foreigners, who keep visiting Macao, Las Vegas, China, Malaysia. Now Singapore is coming up with biggest casino in the world. Why? Because it generates revenue and channelization in different ways which helps the economic growth of the nation, he said.

Expressing displeasure over casino business scenario, the casino owner says, All the people in this business (of casinos) are fed up as there they are losing customers very fast. If Goa really wants to keep this industry alive then the government should encourage casinos and run it professionally like industry.

-Navhind Times, Goa Daily