Goa, India's tourist hotspot, looks set to become the country's gambling capital, following news that state politicians have given the go-ahead for the development of 10 more floating casinos.
Located on India’s tropical west coast, Goa is currently the only state in the country to allow casinos. However, as gambling remains largely frowned on by Indian society, local opposition has limited the industry to one floating casino and a few five-star hotels with slot machines.
According to press reports emerging from the region, local politicians have now agreed to the development of 10 more floating casinos to operate off Goa’s shores. The news follows years of campaigning by hotel chains, which have been pointing out that tourists often go instead to Nepal and Sri Lanka, where gambling is permitted.
Dilraj Kaur, a civil servant for the state’s home ministry, was reported to have said: "We are looking to catch some of these tourist dollars flowing into the state. Operators [of the new casinos] will have to get licences from a number of authorities but we expect that within a year they will start."
Internationally renowned for its beaches, Goa is visited by hundreds of thousands of foreign and domestic tourists each year and has become one of the most popular holiday destinations for European travellers.
