Calling the Big Players

When the curtain rises on the World Gaming Festival in Goa on September 23,it will have elements from the best gaming festivals from across the world. Narinder Punj,Managing Director,Casino Royale,who has conceptualised the World Gaming Festival,says that he travelled to 14 countries before deciding on the festival’s format. And that,adds Punj,was the easier part.

“Zeroing in on the right clientele was tougher,” he says. “We found that people from Punjab constitute about 30 per cent of the visitors who crowd casinos in Goa,” he says. Hence,he flew in personally to Chandigarh to hard-sell the festival. “The opening of the festival at Casino Royal in Goa will see Black Jack,Roulette,Poker,Baccarat and Indian Flush tournaments,all under one roof and taking place at the same time,” he adds.

The festival will also include performances by an international jazz band,Spanish dance performances,and have celebrities from Bollywood,fashion,sports,art and literature dropping by.

Of course,adding to the glam quotient is the collective prize bounty of Rs 5 crore. To register log on to http://www.worldgamingfestival.com. The festival will be held till September 26.