Goa to Crack Down on Unauthorized Sri Lankan Casino Ads

Goa’s government has pledged to take action against unauthorized advertisements for Sri Lankan casinos promoting online gaming in the state. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant assured the legislative assembly on Tuesday that these illegal hoardings will be removed, as reported by the Indo-Asian News Service.

Goa Forward Party MLA Viaji Sardesai highlighted the issue, stating that despite his earlier complaint to the Home Department, no action had been taken against these advertisements, which violate the Goa Daman and Diu Gambling Act. Sardesai questioned the legality of these ads, noting that online gaming is illegal under the GST Council’s rules.

In response, CM Sawant acknowledged that a case has been registered at the Porvorim police station concerning the unauthorized casino advertisements. He mentioned that the state is seeking legal advice and plans to file additional cases to address these violations.

“Hoardings for casinos in Sri Lanka attempting to operate online gaming from here will not be allowed. The state earns no revenue from this. Our advertising policy is not finalized, and they are exploiting this. But I assure you, we will remove or demolish these hoardings,” Sawant told the assembly.

This initiative is part of Goa’s broader efforts to regulate gambling activities and ensure compliance with the law. The state has recently agreed to amend the local Goods and Services Tax Act to clarify the taxability of various forms of gambling.

The amended law, an update to the original 2017 GST Act, came into force in October last year. The new bill aims to clarify the taxation of gambling activities, including horse racing, casinos, and betting.

Read: Goa gov’t approves amendments to local Goods and Services Tax Act

Source: AGB