Goa’s floating casinos must move onshore within three years

Goa’s floating casinos will be moved onshore within three years and locals won’t be allowed inside, according to the Indian state’s chief minister.

On Monday, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar informed the state legislative assembly that the five shipboard casinos currently offering gambling services on the Mandovi river will all be moved to a land-based “special entertainment zone” within the next three years.

Responding to questions from opposition MLAs, Parrikar said his government was formulating a new gaming policy that would eliminate language referring to casino “vessels,” thus ensuring that the floating casinos “will cease to exist.”

Furthermore, Parrikar stated that the new policy would impose a hard cap on the number of existing floating casinos at five. A sixth casino, the MV Lucky 7 (pictured), ran aground last weekend while being towed to its permanent mooring point on the Mandovi.