Goa is a popular travel destination for people from all over the world, not just those from India. Abyssal beaches, churches, and historic forts all draw travelers. Aside from this, though, another thing that visitors adore is the casino.

Casinos are equally well-liked in Goa and they generate millions of rupees in revenue along with tourism. Keeping that in mind, Manoj Chavan, the general secretary of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has requested the state government to set up similar casinos on Maharashtra’s 720-kilometre coastline.

Chavan said that the Maharashtra government should focus more on tourism. If the casinos help the state of Goa to earn more revenue, efforts should be made to boost beach tourism. He added that it will also contribute to reducing unemployment.

“People travel from several states like Goa and Sri Lanka for the casinos. The revenue of our state will undoubtedly rise in a positive way if casinos are introduced along the Konkan coast as well as in Goa,” said Chavan.

Manoj Chavan said that he spoken with the Industry Minister about the idea. Manoj Chavan said that he will also demand that Ratnagiri district be declared a tourism district. “Government needs to be modernized now”, he added.

It is interesting to see a demand to have casinos in Maharashtra when some other states which already had passed laws to set up and maintain casinos have seen a lot of resistance from various strata of society, claiming that they do more harm than good.

A prime example is the recent decision to repeal the Meghalaya Gaming Act. The protests from locals at different parts of the state and organisations such as Khasi Jaintia Christian Leaders Forum (KJCLF) were one of the main drivers for the repealing of the statute.