Says it would move to Zuari or Sal but not into open sea
TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Delta Corp Limited, the only listed gaming company in India and the largest off-shore casino operator in Goa, has said it is open to moving its casinos out of River Mandovi, but not to the open sea.
“Yes, we have given the State government an undertaking stating that we are willing to move out of the Mandovi, but to a suitable location,” said Jaydev Mody, chairman of Delta Corp Limited.
Mody explained that by ‘suitable’ location he did not mean moving into the open seas – calling it ‘not viable’. “There is also a security risk of moving into the high seas. It’s not safe,” Mody told the media.
He said a viable option would be any other river that the State government deems fit. “Once a suitable location is provided we will shift. It does not really matter whether it is the Zuari or the Sal,” he said. But again, “the new location should have the required infrastructure like jetties, loading points and so forth,” said Mody.
“We are waiting for some clarity from the State government. The government is in the process of appointing a Gaming Commissioner as well as framing the Goa Gaming Act. We are hopeful that the government will specify all that they want to do in terms of location, infrastructure, jetties etc so that it is a win-win for everybody,” said Mody.
Fully aware of the financial crunch that the Goa government finds itself in after the closure of mining, Mody said that the government should not ignore the fact that the gaming industry is now a big contributor to the economy in Goa. The government generates Rs 6.5 crore from licence fees apart from 15% of revenue and a fee of Rs 500 per person entering the casino.
“If you notice, all the flights are full. The hotel occupancy and prices are going higher. We are a big employment generator and 80 per cent of our employees are local. Then you have the spill-over in terms of employment to cabbies, booking agents and other vendors,” he said.
Delta Corp holds three of the five off-shore casino licences in Goa with no likelihood of any new licences being issued in the foreseeable future. It is instructive that one of the vessels Deltin Royale is the country’s largest casino with over 900 gaming positions.
