Grassroots Movement Against Offshore Casinos

(AsiaGameHub) –   The ‘Enough is Enough’ movement in India has formally protested the casino vessels on Goa’s Mandovi River. The activist organization inaugurated a permanent base in Panaji, Goa’s capital, on Tuesday.

Residents of Goa have for years objected to the floating casinos, alleging they harm the environment, cause river traffic jams, and negatively impact fishing communities. Former Chief Justice Ferdino Rebello, now the movement’s leading figure, further contends the boats breach India’s Gambling Act. He has contested their continued operation in communications sent to Goa’s Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant.

“I intend to write once more, detailing the reasons these casinos are prohibited from operating there,” Rebello stated to the press in Panaji. “Should the government fail to act, the public may need to contemplate if a different administration should address the issue.”

The fight against casino boats forms one aspect of a wider environmental initiative across India. Rebello explained that Enough is Enough is bringing this campaign directly to communities and their talukas, the administrative bodies overseeing groups of villages. The group has prepared a resolution for local representatives, pressing them to combat overdevelopment and reject rushed applications for land conversion.

As reported by the Navhind Times, the movement asserts that rampant construction not only harms the ecosystem. It also overburdens local utilities and threatens to change “Goa’s identity, cultural heritage, and the Konkani language.”

Goa home to 13 land-based, riverboat casinos

While casino gambling is federally prohibited in India, it is allowed in certain states, such as Goa. Currently, Goa hosts 13 casinos, with seven located on land and six operating offshore on the Mandovi River. In March, Chief Minister Sawant declared a tripling of the licensing fee for new land-based casino ventures. He also clarified that the state government does not intend to issue new licenses for offshore casinos.

“The count of offshore casinos is capped at six,” he stated. “The raised fee applies solely to applicants seeking to establish new onshore casinos within the state.”

Over many years, Goa’s authorities have repeatedly pledged to move the Mandovi casinos to alternative locations, yet these plans have not materialized. Per The Goan, the news of increased fees for land-based casino licenses comes at a time of local demonstrations against a proposed large casino boat with a 2,000-passenger capacity, which is said to be slated to take the place of a current, smaller vessel.