Panaji: Amidst strong protests and allegations of tattering state`s moral fabric, off-shore gambling seems to be catching up in Goa with 1.21 lakh gamblers visiting floating gambling dens in the last fiscal.
Goa has five off shore casinos which are in news for wrong reasons like flouting the local rules and disrespecting the laws.
But the figures released by state`s commercial taxes department reveals that last financial year, 1.21 lakh gamblers visited these off shore casinos anchored in the Mandovi river.
The oldest off shore casino, M V Caravela, which was licenced in 1999, remains the hot favourite amongst the gamblers, which basically comprise of domestic tourists.
Around 36,000 gamblers visited Caravelha last financial year contributing Rs 1.39 crore to the state coffers.
Leela Beach resort`s Casino Rio is the second favourite floating gambling den which has contributed Rs 56 lakhs from 35,000 gamblers who visited it last financial year.
The off shore gambling dens which have attracted protests across the state are being looked as an alternate tourist attraction after beaches.
"But this is dangerous. Once we start depending on the money earned from off shore casinos then we will be dependent on it," Leader of Opposition and Bharatiya janata party (BJP) leader Manohar Parrikar told reporters.
He said that besides various irregularities by off shore casinos, they are also to be condemned for trying to spoil Goa`s image as a gambling destination.
"We should promote Goa as a family tourist destination and not gambling destination...Provide better tourist infrastructure so that we can more domestic guests rather than banking on off shore casinos," BJP`s Deputy leader in the house, Fransisco D`Souza, commented on the floor of the house during the ongoing monsoon assembly session.
The voices of discontent are also emerging from the ruling Congress camp.
Deputy Speaker and Congress legislator Mauvin Godinho, in the current assembly session said that these casinos are destroying families in Goa.
"Many families have lost their fortunes to gambling on the casino," he said.
Similarly, another Congress legislator, Dayanand Narvekar, questioned the wisdom of having off shore casinos as the cost of state`s image.
Bureau Report
