Casino ships line up along the Mandovi, as more join the race >From Pamela D'Mello [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Panaji, Oct 10: By this October end, three additional ship-based casinos could join an existing fleet of three "offshore" casinos, marking Goa's entry into a new tourism niche. Two live gaming casinos began soft operations late last month, ending the monopoly of the Sunder Advani owned Casino de Goa. The Leela group's Casino Rio, began ferrying clients last month by boat to its white catamaran, moored midstream in the Mandovi, to meet mandatory "offshore" conditions. Piramal group owned King's Casino, on board a yacht, also moored midstream, announced itself open in the last week of September. Set to roll shortly, is a casino on board a three storey Mississippi River-type paddle boat, to be operated by Nepal casino pioneer American Richard Tuttle, in collaboration with an Indian partner. Licenses to the MV Pride of Goa were cleared in September, when the state home department issued two fresh casino licenses to Goa Coastal Resorts and Recreation and Victor Hotels and Motels Ltd (now owned by Piramal group's Arrow Webtex). Arrow Webtex's Highstreet Cruises' company has applied for a second offshore casino license as well. The state government has decided to permit six licenses at a Rs 5 crore (Rs 50 million) annual fee, on a first come first served basis. Four licenses have been allotted, while a race is on for the remaining two. Vying for these are V M Salgaocar, who have a paddle boat outfitted for the purpose, and awaiting permissions from the director general of shipping. Zee group's Creative Gaming Solutions is refurbishing a Panamanian vessel in Mumbai for its Maharaja Casino. "So far, Sunder Advani, Hotel Leela, Goa Coastal Resorts and Victor Hotels have been granted licenses," sources in the home department confirmed. Meanwhile, Nepal's casino business rivals Richard Tuttle and his former protege partner Rakesh Wadhwa are carving out part of Goa's on and off shore casino operations among themselves. Wadhwa's gaming companies, manage at least three onshore casinos besides ship based ones, while Tuttle's companies are consultants to run another set. The state government meanwhile has yet to frame new legislation to regulate the business. In addition to license fees and excise duties, commercial taxes are levied per entry ticket sold. -- Contact the writer: Pamela D'Mello Cell 9850 461649, Blog at http://pameladmello.wordpress.com and see http://www.youtube.com/user/pameladmello