Golden Gaming International has entered Goa’s high-stakes casino ecosystem with the launch of Casino Golden, an off-shore casino housed at Baga’s LA Calypso Hotel. The news comes on the back of Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s decision to reopen the casino industry in the state under the new Covid-19 guidelines.
“Casinos can open from Monday (i.e September 20th) at 50 percent capacity. The economy needs to be revived, it should start. It is not just the casino industry, but the hotel industry too. Tourism-related activities need to start,” Sawant had said.
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Golden Gaming International currently operates casinos in Sikkim, Nepal, and now Goa. Casino enthusiasts in Goa can look forward to casino game offerings such as Slots, Electronic Roulette Blackjack, Teen Patti, Andar Bahar, Baccarat, Casino War, Roulette in addition to live acts and entertainment.
Golden Gaming is the gaming and entertainment arm of Shree Jalaram Group, a business conglomerate that is headquartered in Mumbai. The company has interests in diverse market segments, including online lottery terminals, sports betting, real estate, healthcare, apparel, food and beverages, software development, and casinos.
“This is our first casino venture in Goa and we are feeling optimistic about our decision. As a conglomerate, our business is spread across diverse segments. We operate casinos in Sikkim and Nepal through our arm Golden Gaming International but we had long contemplated on venturing into Goa which is one of the prime destinations. We are looking forward to serving the casino enthusiasts while following the covid guidelines as prescribed by the government. We are confident that our venture will contribute to the tourism industry in the state,” said Mukesh Ganatra, Chairman of Golden Gaming International
“We are delighted to share that finally we have launched our casino in Goa. Goa is India’s hottest destination for casino operations and we are looking forward to our journey in the state. We at Golden Gaming International have been invested in casino operations for decades now, running successful operations in India and Nepal. We had planned to start this venture a long time and we finally decided to make this a reality now. As Goa is opening up, we are looking forward to serving casino enthusiasts in this wonderful state,” said the Priyesh Ganatra, Managing Director of Golden Gaming International.
Casino Golden says its premises will adhere to strict Covid-19 protocol from temperature check, sanitized chips, and tables, contactless payment to social distancing. Tourists and locals will be granted entry under the condition of being fully vaccinated, or if they provide a negative RT-PCR report.
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Goa has six offshore casinos and about a dozen others at hotels, offering several employment opportunities for locals apart from generating sizeable revenues for the government. The temporary closure of casinos had not just dented the economy of the state but also impacted those working in tourist activities such as hotels, restaurants, and taxi services.
As per expert estimates, the state government earns around Rs 320 crore each year from license fees from casinos and about Rs 1,000 crore in taxes via allied activities.
In an exclusive interview with G2G News, the director of Majestic Pride Casino, Shrinivas Nayak had categorically stated that the casino industry in Goa is an integral and indispensable part of leisure tourism in the state.
He had further emphasized that until and unless the entertainment sector gains pace, the tourism industry in Goa will not regain its previous growth rate.