'Unverified foreigners in casinos pose threat to Goa security'

The credentials of foreigners employed in Goa's casinos should be verified as they could be a "risk" to the state's security, the Congress said Saturday.

Congress spokesperson Reginaldo Lourenco said casinos have been brought within the ambit of the Money Laundering Act because of suspicious financial and hawala activities linked to the trade.

It was imperative to keep tabs on foreign employees as "unverified, they pose a risk to the security of Goa", he added.

Goa has four offshore casinos and nearly a dozen onshore casinos.

The industry employs a host of Nepali dealers who have been displaced because of slump in casino operations back home.

Gambling dens have also attracted several Europeans, former club-house managers and gaming experts who were instrumental in setting up gambling operations from scratch a decade ago.

"It is appalling and outrageous that casinos in Goa have been set up to provide livelihood opportunities for non-Goans. I appeal to the chief minister to weed out illegal casino operators from Goa for good," Lourenco said, adding that many were working in India on expired visas.