Panaji: The notification and implementation of the Goa Public Gambling Rules to regulate casino operations in the state may have to wait until a new govt forms in the state, as the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act, 1976, specifies that the rules need to be tabled in the Goa legislative assembly which should be in session for not less than 14 days.The home department has finalised the draft Goa Public Gambling Rules.In March 2019, state govt appointed the commissioner of commercial taxes as the gaming commissioner, but since the rules were not framed, his duties were not defined.A senior govt officer said all rules framed under the Act will be published in the Official Gazette and placed before the Goa assembly while it is in session for a period of not less than 14 days, either in a single session or across successive sessions.With the Goa assembly elections scheduled in Feb 2027, a lengthy assembly session is not expected, the officer said. State govt has recommended an assembly session from Aug 31, but the duration of the House has not been finalised.The officer said that once the casino rules are notified, the gaming commissioner will be fully functional.There are over a dozen onshore casinos and six offshore ones in the state. State govt first drafted the Goa Public Gambling Rules, 2022, to regulate casino operations in the state, and it was subsequently tweaked in 2023, but it did not see the light of day.The officer said that “presently there is no mechanism in place” to check the profile of every casino client and understand the source of money — whether legal or from illegal sources. The officer said that there is no mechanism in place to understand the amount of money spent by a person while playing at any offshore or onshore casino.The officer said that as per the proposed rules, the gaming commissioner will have the power to issue entry tickets to the casinos. Presently, the entry tickets are issued by the casino operators. Once the rules come into force, the gaming commissioner will maintain a record of the number of visitors to a casino. “Next day, the gaming commissioner will be able to check the inventory to find how many people entered a casino,” the officer said.The officer said that once approved and notified, it will be the first time that such rules for regulating casino operations will come into force.As per the draft rules, the gaming commissioner is empowered to exercise overall control over the games conducted in the designated areas and is also authorised to maintain the records and documents in connection with the games. The officer said that casino licensing and collection of annual recurring fees are handled by the home department. Once the rules come into force, the gaming commissioner will monitor the casino operations.
