3 min readPanajiUpdated: Aug 10, 2026 10:10 AM IST
Operators of casinos in Goa have been directed to prohibit the entry of minors on their premises, as per a communique sent to the state home department by the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
The child rights body, in its statement on July 30, said that the exposure of children to gambling environments is contrary to the principles of child protection, and may adversely affect their physical, mental and moral development.
The Commission said the Goa Children’s Act, 2003, mandates the state to protect children from exploitation and specifically provides that “inducing a child to gamble or assist in the gambling trade is a punishable offence”.
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“Ensure mandatory age verification at all entry points through valid government-issued identity documents. Display prominent signboards stating ‘entry of children below 18 years is strictly prohibited’,” read the letter.
The Commission has also asked the home department to direct the police and authorities concerned to carry out regular inspections to ensure compliance. “Initiate appropriate action, including suspension or cancellation of licences, against any operator found permitting entry of children in violation of the law and licence conditions,” it said.
Further, it directed the department to submit an action taken report within a month from the date of receipt of the order.
Goa has six-offshore casinos anchored in Mandovi river in Panaji and 16 onshore casinos, according to data shared in the Assembly earlier this year. Licenced onshore and offshore casinos have brought in over Rs 1,700 crore in revenue to the state in the last five years.
What the law says
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According to the Goa Public Gambling Act, 1976, no person below 21 years of age is allowed entry “on an offshore casino vessel” or “licensed premises, where a licensee installs and operates games of electronic amusements/slot machines in a five-star hotel.”
The state government, last month, altered the definition with the notification stating: “No person below the age of twenty one years shall be allowed entry by the licensee at a ‘designated licensed places/areas’, where a licensee installs and operates games of electronic amusements/slot machines or table games in a five-star hotel or vessel.”
The gazette notification added that designated licensed places/areas mean a “separated area in a five-star hotel or vessel partitioned with access control where the licensee is authorized to install and operate electronic amusements/slot machines or table games.”
A government official, requesting anonymity, said, “The only change is that earlier, the entire area was defined as a licensed premise. Now, we have identified a specific area inside the vessel or hotel, designated for gaming, where no person below 21 is allowed to enter.”
