At any time of the day or night, these colorful lights can be seen flashing, drawing the attention of passers-by. One would also have experienced men dressed in black suits beckoning tourists and passers-by, while handing out business cards to try their hand at a game of Black Jack, Roulette, Poker etc on the casino ships harbored in the Mandovi. Their beckoning reminds one of a lamb obediently being taken to slaughter.
The government when it allowed offshore casinos’ to open shop in Goa, did so on the sole promise that the state would earn good revenue, local business would boom and Goan youth would get an excellent opportunity for employment. Offshore casinos were brought in to enhance the development of tourism in the state.
In my opinion, I see offshore or onshore casinos’ as a far-from-ideal situation. Why, because it is a known fact that gambling makes for bad government, bad economics and creates a bad environment for cities. Casino jobs are not well paying. The Goa government overlooked the social and environmental damage that casino development would bring to the state. It only looked at the economic benefits.
What offshore casinos have brought to Goa is increased traffic congestion on land and water, a visual eye sore that has ruined a magnificent open waterway —Mandovi destroying the rural character of the river and her surrounding areas and resentment among local residents. These floating monsters anchored in the Mandovi are an ugly sight.
SUVs unloading groups of tourists and families near the Captain of Ports jetty, to experience the thrill of gambling is a constant nuisance motorists have to face, while travelling in and out of the city. This disembarking of tourists groups and parking of SUVs on either side of the main road in the heart of Panjim, many times leads to huge traffic jams for hours. Then there is the issues of run-off from casinos like waste and sewage disposal, which is detrimental to the Mandovi.
Goa needs to take a leaf from Hong Kong and Macau, where gambling is one of the major industries. World over there are strict gambling rules set by nations, but in Goa, none as such seem to exist. Take for example, Hong Kong; each evening the gambling ships have to leave port and sail out to sea, wherein their patrons gamble through the night. Goa on the other hand is an exception, as recently the government gave permission for a sixth casino to anchor in the waters of the Mandovi. The casinos in the Mandovi are just glorified barges that serve as anchorage to shore floating casinos. Anchored ships should not be made welcome. The way ahead for the Goa government is to have a well conceived plan for true floating casinos. The casinos in the Mandovi are in the wrong place and are destroying the heart of our city as they become many a times floating drug dens and houses of prostitution.
There seems to be no study or statistics on offshore casinos in the state or their impacts. With no proper casino and cruise policy, offshore casinos in Goa remain a special entity, in a special zone. Despite the offshore casino industry nearing saturation, the pie just seems to be growing bigger.
In a recent article in a leading newspaper, “After over four years of loud proclamations to remove casinos from the state, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has for the first time gone on record to say that his government would not be able to go through with the promise, either in case of onshore casinos or offshore ones. He has also gone so far as to acknowledge that the state’s economy depends on casinos for employment and for revenue generation.”
Bringing in offshore or onshore casinos is not the answer to solve the state’s fiscal woes. Casino expansion is not a magical solution; on the contrary world over not one country has ever solved its fiscal problems through the growth of casinos. Supporters who advocate and prescribe to the monetary benefits of casinos should understand that the amount of tax revenue that casinos provide to the state is relatively very small in comparison to their earnings. Casino owners are businessmen, so the question of remunerating proper taxes to the government is always questionable. Goa should look at new streams of revenue to make up for fiscal shortfalls.
Bringing in offshore casinos has caused over development of tourism. The increase in number of visitors is greater than the state’s infrastructural ability to cope with. As a result of mass tourism taking over, Goa’s once famed beaches and landscapes are being destroyed causing dangerous social and environmental damage. The increased consumption and competition is also adding excess pressure on our natural resources.
If Goa needs to remain prominent on the Indian tourist map, it needs to adjust itself in such a way so as to maintain its competitiveness as a tourist destination and attract more tourists.
(The author is the
Managing Director of
Aviation Travel & Tourism Services.)
