Panaji: Criticising govt’s move to amend the law to allow minors to enter offshore casinos, Ponnjekars Against Casinos demanded that govt prohibit people under 21 from entering the six offshore casinos. The activists have also demanded that govt immediately notify the gaming rules.On Thursday, the home department issued a notification that banned persons below 21 years from entering the gambling zones of onshore and offshore casinos.Ponnjekars Against Casinos said that while govt notification vindicates their stand that children had been allowed to enter casinos all this while, there is no mechanism to prevent children from getting exposed to gambling and other vices on the offshore casino vessels.“The gaming commissioner remains defunct due to govt’s persistent delay or inaction in notifying the gaming rules and providing a personnel structure to implement the same,” said AAP president Valmiki Naik.Under the Goa public gambling act, the gaming commissioner is responsible for regulating customer entry, enforcing age restrictions, and overseeing revenue-related transactions, among other duties. To execute these functions, the rules and personnel of the gaming commissioner have to be notified.“Over 14 years have passed since the need for a gaming commissioner was introduced in 2012, and six years since the post was notified under the commissioner of commercial taxes. Govt has no justification for such an extraordinary delay,” said Chryselle Dias, member of Ponnjekars Against Casinos.The group said that the absence of gaming rules not only undermines domestic regulation but also exposes Goa to reputational risks and vulnerabilities in illicit financial flows across sectors such as land, construction, and mining.The Goa gaming rules were cleared by the law department in March 2026 and are awaiting cabinet approval.“In the absence of notified rules, all casino operations in Goa must be suspended immediately,” said Naik.The activists have also said that govt must take immediate steps to relocate casinos from the Mandovi river to territorial waters.Ponnjekars Against Casinos had filed a complaint with Panaji police on April 25 alleging that casino vessels were allowing persons under 21 in violation of the Goa Public Gambling Act and the Goa children’s act. A similar complaint was filed with the gaming commissioner, who stated that he lacked authority to act because the gaming rules had not been notified and no staff had been assigned to his office.
