Kings Casino Goa
Kings Casino Goa – Inside government casinos, a mix of expectations and signs of a post-pandemic revival. Delta Corp., Goa’s only listed casino operator, reported a 15 percent rise in net sales and a 27 percent rise in operating profit in the April-June quarter.
Delta Corp., a listed company, owns several offshore casinos in Goa, including Deltin Royale, Deltin Jaqk and Deltin Caravela, also known as King Casino. (Image: Delta Corp.)
Kings Casino Goa
On the 10pm ferry, the mood is somber, almost ominous, as the car glides towards one of the many ships moored on the Mandovi River outside the Panjim port. There is a lot of light on the bay, from brightly lit ships, glittering billboards, reflections on the surface of the river, which are kinetic during the monsoon. But the atmosphere inside is grimmer than you’d imagine, with a bunch of people out to spend money, play games and enjoy a pre-paid buffet.
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“I often go to one of these,” said a middle-aged man in a checkered shirt who is part of a group of similar-aged people who did not want to be named. “My family knows, but I’d rather not answer too many questions at home.”
The Belgaum resident is one of thousands of tourists who flock to one of Goa’s six offshore casinos, which are open 24/7, offer a package of entertainment and work, boost tourism in the state and invite often the disdain of residents.
The post-pandemic world of casinos is just returning to a semblance of normality after many were closed from March to November 2020 and then again from late April to mid-September 2021, more than 12 months of shutdown for a business that otherwise has almost no days off.
“One of the struggles was retaining staff,” said Srinivas Nayak, director of Majestic Pride Group, which owns the offshore casino. “We (casinos) are the last priority as we move into leisure (business). We were the last to start our business. The sad thing is that while the revenue has stopped, the spending has continued.”
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The numbers are hard to find because most casinos are censored against talking numbers and most are censored from talking. But Delta Corp, India’s only listed company in the casino gaming industry, saw its net sales fall from nearly Rs 800 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 418 crore in 2020-21. Its operating profit fell from 320 million lei to 22 million lei during the period, indicating the scars left by the pandemic on the industry. The company has several offshore casinos in Goa, including Deltin Royale, Deltin Jaqk and Deltin Caravela, also known as King Casino.
Still, things are going well for Delta this fiscal year. In the April-June quarter, its net sales rose 15 percent and operating profit rose 27 percent on higher casino footfall and improved room occupancy.
Shares of Delta Corp are up nearly 15% in the past month as the overall stock market rebounds. These figures have led the company to finance a new ship that has the same capacity as the three existing casinos in Goa and show that the gaming industry can be a winning bet for a long-term investor.
Teywant Singh, who plays many roles for Casino Pride, including marketing, entertainment and picking up the phone listed on their website, tells a story he heard from one of their first visitors this year: “He said that my father won so much, we kept saving, it stopped us from spending and then he died of covid last year. He earned all his life but never enjoyed it, never traveled. What did it come to? He went without enjoying his life.
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He recounts this incident as a way of explaining that while it may not be as high as in pre-Covid days, visitors are spending more. “The appetite for risk has increased. People are afraid if there is another blockage…” he trails off
On a Friday evening, when the rain lets up a bit, the road to Panjim near the side docks of the casino hums with Toyota Qualis, men with their eyes in armchairs. Couples fight over rented scooters on sidewalks, mehendi and bracelets reveal their newly changed marital status and how gambling can ruin the first salvo after the honeymoon. Groups of young families drag their children and babysitters along, a mixture of sleep and excitement forming imperceptible expressions on their faces. Crossing the sticky road, the women in heels tremble uncertainly, because the local town hall decides to postpone it at that very moment. Tumblrs spin, coupon and cheer.
The pandemic has inspired casinos to innovate and move into modern times. Social media and Instagram now play an important role in communication. Large stacks continue to be plastered in strategic locations, such as on the road from the airport to the city, but are considered of limited value with 4-5 seconds of blurred vision.
Singh talks about innovation every day, explaining that “in a democracy, people can have what they want.” Targeting today’s millennial crowd is a challenge, says a recent immigrant from Ludhiana who claims to be in his 20s. “We need to update our social media, the Google page needs to be monitored, Instagram needs instant responses. We didn’t pay any attention to them until 3-4 years ago,” says Singh, who started working with Casino Pride when it first closed.
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“We are targeting this segment of society: young people, my 23-25 year olds. Married, young. Because my friends from college, my friends from school, all my connections are through social media.”
The average beginner spends a few hours on their first visit to the casino, while seasoned card players could spend days inside without realizing it. (Feature Image: Keenan Constance via Unsplash)
From a distance, Casino Pride looks like a scene from Ozark, the OTT show in which a dysfunctional family runs a casino in Missouri, USA. From the ferry, 20 people rush to the first floor of Casino Pride, making it seem as packed as Mumbai’s local railway station for a few minutes, before dispersing to other levels of the multi-storey lair.
Games like Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, Flush, Casino War compete with newer ones like Dragon Tiger, Double Dice and are accompanied by more native sounding Amar Akbar Anthony, Chhote Miyan Bade Miyan and Andar Bahar. The latter, according to Singh, is most popular among men in Karnataka, a simple card game that requires little strategy.
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Kannada and Telugu are the most commonly heard languages in the casino, indicating the audience’s places of origin. There are game rooms, a buffet spread on the second floor, in front of a live dance performance on a Kannada or Telugu song. In the children’s room further ahead, behind the dance stage, several adults have the difficult task of entertaining the children after 11 p.m.
At Deltin Royale, the atmosphere is more relaxed on a weeknight. The crowd is more honest, leaner, seemingly less stressed. There are enough tables for everyone, more room to move, fewer competitors to beat. A bunch of middle-aged women between nine and ten, dressed for a night on the town, sit at a blackjack table while one of them walks around arguing on the phone with what appears to be the wrong kid.
Casino managers say that newcomers, and there are a lot of them, ask some pretty clichéd questions. Can I walk in shorts and slippers (mostly not)? Do you accept cash (yes, also credit card, GPay, etc.)? It’s sure? How do I get to the ship and will it (not) sail? The average beginner spends a few hours in the evening on their first visit to the casino, experienced card players could spend days inside without realizing it.
Most casino virgins aren’t interested in spending more than a few grand, they think the house only wins in the end, and they expect to find men in tuxedos sipping martinis. “They have this in mind that everything is handled in the casino. How do movies show that we’re all in this together? But ask me how many people win,” Singh adds with a laugh.
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Local citizens and non-governmental organizations have long sought to relocate the casinos from their current location in Mandov. Quite often, problems arise with licenses, whether they should be renewed or not. The central government recently scrapped a proposal to levy 28% GST on casinos, while the state government plans to notify new regulations for casino operators, including the powers of the gaming commissioner.
“On leaving Mandov,” says Nayak, “the case has been going on for 16 years. The myth is that we can’t move. But what matters is people’s safety, ease of doing business, access to facilities. These are challenges for any government.”
“From now on, there is no discontent, no action. These things have faded. I have
