Panaji, Goa: Off shore Casinos may attract thousands of tourists to Goa, but the state government is not amused with most of these casinos operating without the required licenses. However, now there is little that the government can do.
Goa's floating casinos have helped anchor its flagging tourism industry in recent times. Now, there's trouble in the wake of a state legislative committee directing four of the five casinos to stop operations immediately.
In its investigation, the committee has found that four of the five casinos plying on the Mandovi river no longer have the permission to operate on the Mandovi. Their licenses had expired early on in the year.
The trading license of Casino Royale, one of the most popular casinos, expired on April 12.
But the Goa government still claims it cannot act against the casinos as the court has ordered a stay on their operations.
"The casinos have gone to court. Now what do we do? We can't do anything," said Minister of Ports Fransisco Pacheco.
But the stay has little to do with their licenses.
The tussle first began when the state government was forced to direct the casino vessels to move away from the Mandovi River, as too many casinos ships had begun overcrowding the bay. The casinos went to court saying it would be unsustainable for them to move away into the ocean.
So hiding behind the legal battle, the question the government is refusing to answer - Why did it allow the casinos to function even after their licenses had expired?