Goa casino ban locals entry for gambling seen as welfare decisions by the government. One of the only two states in the country where casinos exist. Goa banned locals from entering casinos to safeguard their hard-earned money. The decision widely appreciated by women in Goa
There are many cases reported where locals become regular to these casinos. Many of them lost their entire wealth and become a problem for family and state. This is probably why the Goa government took the decision to ban locals from entering Casinos. Similar bans exist in different countries in the world. Nepal also has casinos but does not allow its citizens to enter these casinos.
Sikkim too ban locals entry to the casino: Goa casino ban locals
Sikkim is the only other state in the country that has casinos. They too banned the local’s entry to their casinos. Other places in the world too restrict locals’ entry to the casinos to gamble like Macau, South Korea, and Vietnam.
Also Read: Goa Tourist Guide for places you must visit when in Goa
There are other countries like Singapore that charge a fee from locals to enter casinos. This could be anywhere between 100 to 200 Singapore Dollars. But the fee has not deterred local Singapore folk to enter casinos. But Singapore can be an exception since it has a large number of locals that are fairly well to do.
Many countries in the world ban locals entry to their casinos
States like Goa have a huge influx of Tourists and their economy based on tourism. There is a large number of tourists visit Goa just for gambling. 30-40% of such tourists visit goa every year and majority lose their money.
Annually approx 400 Cr+ revenue generated by Goa government from these casinos. Earlier Chief Ministers too tried hard to ban locals entering casinos for gambling but the proposal was stuck in Bureaucratic Red Tape.
Goan do indulge in illegal gambling like Matka and Play Cards
However, the Gambling scenario is quite different in Goa. Locals do indulge in gambling like Matka and Lotteries. There are hardly any local Goans that actually visit Casinos. But they do indulge in other forms of gambling like we have mentioned. Matka is illegal but is rampant in many parts of Goa.
It is the locals-only who know about where they can place the bets. So, cracking down this illegal form of Gambling too is difficult for the authorities. Banning Goans on Casinos would not make a world of a difference. But cracking down on the Matka trade will see a definite change.
