Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar denied that he had told the House that no new casino licences would be issued by the government.
Replying to a joint question tabled by three legislators, in the Assembly yesterday, Parsekar denied that the state government had assured in the House that no new licenses will be issued to casinos.
The chief minister said 18 licences for on-shore and six for off-shore acsinos have been issued by the Home Department.
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Of the total six, one off-shore casino is not operational, the reply read.
All the off-shore casinos are anchored in river Mandovi, near Panaji.
Several NGOs had recently organised a march in Panaji city opposing casino culture in the tourist state, demanding that no more licences should be given to these gambling dens.
The casinos in the state are governed by Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act, 1976.
