South Asia

Goa's Ports Minister Michael Lobo said all six of the state's offshore casino operators will be required to shift their office buildings to a river cruise jetty at their own cost, due to congestion in the city centre.

India’s online gaming revenue is expected to jump by 45 percent this year as players turned to their mobiles during Covid-19 mandated lockdowns, with the esports one of the fast growing stars of the segment.

Amid reports of more than a dozen persons testing positive for Covid-19 in Goa's offshore casinos, the Aam Aadmi Party has demanded their closure, fearing a resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic in the state.

Amidst a series of contradictory signals, it now appears that the governments of many Indian states are lining up to ban online gambling, now that the practice has gained greater public attention during the period of the Covid-19 lockdowns.

The Confederation of Indian Industry's Goa chapter has released a white paper calling for the state to reconsider its focus as a destination for "tropical beaches, alcohol, parties, and casinos," and instead diversify its tourism portfolio.

Panjim Mayor Uday Madkaikar has indicated that the newly reopened offshore casinos in Goa have been widely violating Covid-19 protection regulations by not enforcing the wearing of masks, social distancing, and other requirements.

India's Finance Minister Anurag Thakur said the country should legalize sports betting to weed out corrupt practices such as match fixing. Speaking at and ICICI Securities event. “My suggestion will be to legalise betting and gambling activities, which are underground. They continue to exist in our society,” he said.

The Advertising Standards Council of India is working on guidelines for real-money online gambling companies following a surge in betting. The regulator is working with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the All India Gaming Federation and civil society members.

PlayerzPot, an Indian online fantasy gaming platform, say it has raised $3 million in investment through a Series A funding round. The company says it has shifted its vision from being a core fantasy gaming company to becoming the destination platform for complete real-money gaming and other casual online gaming enthusiasts. 

Indian police have arrested more than 100 people involved in illegal gambling activities during the Diwali weekend. Gambling is a popular past time during the festivities.