Goa offshore casinos get 6-month breather for relocation

Even as the Goa government has been debating relocation of five offshore casinos, parked in the Mandovi river off Panaji, the state cabinet here on Wednesday granted them six-month extension to stay put.

"The Council of Ministers resolved to grant extension of time limit to the offshore casino-licencees for relocating casinos from the Mandovi river for six months from October 1 to March 31 or till an alternate feasible site is finalised, whichever is earlier," a government spokesperson said.

The state has five offshore casinos anchored in the Mandovi river and nine others at the five-star hotels.

Successive state governments have been under pressure to relocate the casinos due to demand from the opposition as well as civil society groups.

In the run-up to the Panaji by-election in May, Congress candidate Atanasio Monserrate, who joined the BJP after winning the vote, promised to shift out casinos within 100 days of being elected.