Digitalization may just be the shot in the arm Goa’s casinoscape needs

Officials
in
Goa
have
long
stressed
that
casinos
in
the
state
remain
“essentially
for
tourists,”
even
though
that
mandate
hasn’t
stopped
locals
from
entering
the
gambling
establishments.
A
study
by
ENV
Media,
which
provides
an

overview
of
Goa’s
casino
communities,
noted
that
“locals
are
reported
to
outnumber
tourists
at
land-based
casinos”
citing
local
media
that
reported
residents
hold
“shares
between
50%
and
80%
of
all
onshore
casino
visitors.”

Goa
has
been
actively
positioning
itself
as
a
gambling
destination
not
just
in
the
country,
but
in
the
South
Asia
region
by
facilitating
the
expansion
of
casinos-eight
land-based
and
six
casino
vessels
are
currently
allowed
to
operate
in
Goa-in
an
attempt
to
attract
tourists
who
might
not
consider
visiting
the
state.
The
ride
towards
becoming
a
casino
capital,
however,
is
proving
to
be
a
bumpy
one
for
Goa.

Gambling
brings
with
it
both
positive
and
negative
value
to
the
state,
according
to
Goa
officials.
With
the
way
it
is
set
up
at
the
moment,
the
casino
industry
is
seen
to
pose
a
threat
not
just
to
society
but
also
to
the
environment.
In
fact,
“ruining
the
Mandovi
landscape”
is
a
long-standing
concern
among
Goa’s
gambling
collateral,
according
to
the
ENV
Media
report,
which
is
backed
by
a
Goa
State
Pollution
Control
Board
study
that
confirmed
the
Mandovi
river
is
full
of
bacterial
contamination.”

The
never-ending
casino
closures,
brought
about
by
COVID-19,
isn’t
helping
the
state
either.
The
Goa
officials
had
set
up
a
plan
for
a
gradual
reopening
of
the
economy,
but
it’s
highly
unlikely
for
casinos
and
other
tourism
hotspots
to
reopen
in
the
state
with
the
pandemic
“still
on,”
Chief
Minister
Pramod
Sawant
said.

Adding
online
casinos
may
boost
Goa’s
‘casinoscape’ fame

The
pandemic,
however,
has
shown
that
there
is
a
new
avenue
for
an
economic
boost
not
just
for
Goa,
but
for
the
entire
country
as
well.

Online
casinos
with
real
money
that
offers

blackjack
for
real
money
are
components
will
bring
in
more
players
and
essentially
pave
the
way
for
next-generation
revenue
streams
for
the
state.

As
ENV
Media
analysts
pointed
out,
“The
Covid-19
pandemic
may
have
given
the
decisive
push
in
many
industries.
While
tourism
stands
to
improve
in
Goa,
its
gambling
fame
might
just
be
brought
onto
a
new
level
with
online
gambling.
Goa
might
push
for
more
online
gamers
and
next-gen
revenue
streams
instead
of
pushing
for
rich
tourists
(and
trying
to
discriminate
against
locals
or
humble
desi
gamblers).”

COVID-19
has
pushed
many
consumers
to
become
digital
converts
and
turn
to
technology
and
the
internet
for
new
digital
ways
to
conduct
their
daily
activities.
Consumers
in
India,
which
is
already
considered
a

mobile
first
market,
are
already
spending
more
time
on
their
devices.
According
to
a
separate
ENV
Media
report
focusing
on
mobile
devices,
365
million
online
players-more
than
half
of
India’s
estimated
760
million
internet
users,
get
in
touch
with
their
games
via
mobile
phones.

And
if
harnessed
properly-with
an

updated,
uniform,
and
transparent
regulation-online
casinos
might
just
be
the
shot
in
the
arm
that
the
state
of
Goa
needs.

“Digital
entertainment
is
increasingly
popular
in
all
of
its
shapes,
and
online
(mobile)
gaming
has
not
been
an
exception
in
tech-savvy
India
and
its
well-developed
state
of
Goa.
Internet
gaming
has
already
nurtured
a
community
of
gamblers
who
tend
to
look
for
safe,
legitimate,
and
regulated
gaming
platforms,” ENV
Media
analysts
said
in
their
report.