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A proposed expansion of Goa’s offshore casino industry has hit a legal roadblock after the Bombay High Court at Goa barred a new 2,000-capacity casino vessel from operating on the Mandovi River.
In an order issued on May 6, Justices Valmiki Menezes and Amit Jamsandekar ruled that the 112-metre, seven-storey MV Deltin Royale cannot enter Panaji Port without a valid certificate of survey confirming its seaworthiness.
The court further directed that even if the required certifications are secured, the vessel would still need prior approval from the court before being allowed to sail into the port.
The ruling prevents the vessel from joining the cluster of floating casinos already operating on the Mandovi River. Environmental groups and local residents have long opposed casino boats in the estuary, arguing that they contribute to pollution and threaten traditional fishing livelihoods.
Activists challenging the vessel’s clearance told the court that the Deltin Royale’s size and guest capacity exceed those of the six existing offshore casino boats combined. They also cited concerns raised by the captain and secretary of ports, who warned that the vessel “may create further navigational hazards [and] create a bottleneck at mooring positions.”
Father Bolmax Pereira of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman’s Commission for Ecology welcomed the court’s intervention, calling the issue part of a broader environmental movement in the state.
“The casino vessel debate is not an isolated controversy, but part of a wider ecological awakening in Goa,” he said. Pereira described the project as “symbolic of a larger pattern of unsustainable development in ecologically fragile zones.”
Despite opposition, the casino industry remains a major source of revenue for Goa, one of only three Indian jurisdictions where gambling is legal, alongside Sikkim and Daman and Diu. The state, often referred to as the “Las Vegas of India,” currently hosts 13 casinos, including six offshore operations.
According to figures reported by the Goa Herald, the Goa government earned ₹353.78 crore (US$37 million) from casinos in 2022–23. Revenue rose to ₹603.76 crore in 2023–24 before declining to ₹461.71 crore in the 2024–25 fiscal year.
The court is expected to continue hearing arguments from local petitioners and Delta Pleasure Cruise Company Ltd, the operator of the vessel, during a follow-up hearing scheduled for July 6.
Judges also directed authorities to investigate a mass fish die-off reported in Panaji in April, adding to environmental concerns surrounding development along the Mandovi River.
In March, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the state government had no plans to issue licenses for new offshore casinos.