Casino lobby will soon decide Goa's CM, ministers, laments MLA

The influential casino lobby will soon decide who Goa's future Chief Minister and ministers would be, opposition legislator Pandurang Madkaikar told the Goa assembly on Wednesday.

Speaking during a discussion on budgetary demands, the Congress legislator said that all legislators, across party affiliations, were responsible for making Goa the third largest casino destination in the world after Las Vegas and Macau.

"Salgaocar and Dempo, who are considered among the richest in Goa, could not manage FC Goa, but a casino owner has taken over FC Goa now. Tomorrow they will take over Goa. Jaydev Mody will decide who will be a minister and a Chief Minister. In 10 years, casinos will take over Goa and all of us. Irrespective of whether we are from the BJP or the Congress, we will all be responsible for this," Madkaikar said.

Madkaikar's lament comes a few days after business tycoon Jaydev Mody's Deltin Corp bought a 65 per cent stake in FC Goa franchise, after two Goa-based co-owners Dattaraj Salgaocar and Shrinivas Dempo quit the franchise following a protracted conflict with the Indian Super League.

"Goa is the third largest destination for casinos in the world. The same dealers in Las Vegas and Macau have invested in casinos in Goa," Madkaikar said.

"The Chief Minister should go to Las Vegas and Macau. Macau also has large casinos and is dominated by the casino lobby. The identity of Macau is finished. It is ruled by the casino mafia," he also said.

Goa currently has five offshore casinos and nearly a dozen onshore casinos located in five-star resorts in the state.

--IANS

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