The regulation of gambling in India is only starting to develop. States like Goa have legalized local casinos not so long ago, so there is no surprise they are making adjustments to the legislation. A new draft of gaming rules for each casino in India suggests significant changes to current ways of regulating the establishments.
Powers of the Commissioner
The core idea of the new draft is to create a new regulatory position and grant it powers to monitor the activities of every established casino in India. This position is called the gaming commissioner and the list of powers assigned to it is rather long. First of all, the commissioner will be eligible to exercise overall control over the games. The wording of this part of the draft is quite vague, so it is currently unclear how the games will be monitored and controlled.
Secondly, this position is designed to establish proper accounting of casinos, as it implies maintaining records and documents related to the games. Moreover, another responsibility of the commissioner is to monitor the licensing of casinos and the collection of annual fees. Last but not least, if the commissioner notices any major violations of current laws, they will be empowered to seal the casinos.
When to Expect Changes?
As the freshly published document is only a draft, it is unclear on how soon and in which form it will be implemented. Right now, it is reviewed by the finance department, so we only have to wait for the final decisions to be announced. In case the department considers to significantly modify the draft, the procedure can take a while. There have never been such rules for any casino in India, so it is reasonable for the authorities to review this draft closely.
A Positive Change
Even though the final rules are not confirmed and announced yet, it is already positive news for gambling in India. The position of the gaming commissioner exists currently, but it does not have any significant powers. Most of the duties that will be entitled to the commissioner are now fulfilled by the casinos themselves. This results in a lack of government’s control over the casinos and creates space for unwanted or even illegal operations and manipulations.
In case the draft is approved, the commissioner will act as an additional layer of control. It will surely positively affect the experience of the players, as the service of any casino in India that is subject to these rules will become more transparent and clean.
By Trial and Error
As we can now see, there were flaws in the initial legislation of gambling in Goa. The previous position of the gaming commissioner has turned out to be inefficient, but the new rules are about to change it. This is a positive sign to all the gamblers, as it shows the government is paying close attention to the market. Hopefully, the authorities will be able to catch up with such a fast-growing industry and implement the necessary changes quickly enough.
India is currently facing an impressive growth both in the number of gamblers and the revenues of casinos. The market is estimated to grow by 30% annually, which is impressive, compared to other countries. Analysts from across the globe are projecting India to become one of the largest gambling markets, in case these rates do not decline.
The way the authorities handle it will essentially determine the future of the industry, as all this extraordinary potential might either be embraced by the government or ruined by ineffective regulation. But for now, it is only left to wait for new announcements regarding the draft rules.