The Goa Daman and Diu Public Gambling Bill passed by the Legislative Assembly of Goa, Daman and Diu became THE GOA DAMAN AND DIU PUBLIC GAMBLING ACT,1976 when it received the assent of the President of India on 30th July 1976 and was notified on 09th August 1976 during the tenure in Office of Mrs. Shashikala Kakodkar of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party(MGP) as the Chief Minister. The then Governor was Mr. S K Banerji. The Act repealed the Public Gambling Act(PGA) 1867 as in force in the then Union territory of Goa Daman and Diu under which Gambling was explicitly prohibited throughout India where money was staked and outcomes were left to luck. During the time of Presidents rule in 1979 the GDDGA was amended to extend powers to a Head Constable of Police to enter if necessary by force by night or day , based on any credible information if he has reason to believe any house, room or place was used as a common gaming house. Further it provided for imprisonment and fine imposed on any person found gambling. In 1992, Mr Ravi Naik ,after breaking away from MGP joined the Indian National Congress (INC)and became Chief Minister . During his tenure as Chief Minister when Mr .Bhanu Prakash Singh was Governor the GDDGA was further amended to read “Government” to mean the “Government of Goa” and to further insert section 13 A which conferred on the Government to authorize any game of electronic amusement/slot machines in Five Star Hotels subject to conditions and payment of recurring and non-recurring fees. This provision opened the floodgates for Five Star Hotels to start gaming in their Hotels. The first Five Star Hotel off the block was the Ramada Hotels India Ltd with Mr. Sunder Advani as its Managing Director and the Leela Palace with Krishnan Nair as its head to install slot machines. NUGGET was opened at Ramada and LAS VEGAS at Leela. In 1994, Dr Wifred D’souza, as Chief Minister, amended the GDDGA to raise the fine for the second time offence of having been found gaming in common gaming houses to not less than three thousand rupees, and for the third offence the fine was raised to be not less than five thousand rupees . The amendment was published in the Gazette on 25.02.1994 but was deemed to have come into force retrospectively on 17.09.1993. In 1996, Mr.Pratapsingh Rane, as Chief Minister, when P. C Alexander as Governor amended section 13 A of the GDDGA to include “ table games and gaming on board vessels offshore as may be notified”. The first off the block for the second time to avail of the benefit of this amendment was Mr Sunder Advani of Ramada Hotels Ltd, which by then had changed its name to Renaissance Hotels Ltd , through its sister Company Advani Pleasure Cruises Pvt. Ltd. CARAVELA was launched with gaming facilities. The amendment is significant because it made possible for Vessels to operate as Gaming houses. The amendment is also very , very significant because it cut the lead time for obtaining Gaming licences as a vessel could be easily and quickly dry or wet leased without having to wait and incur expenses of constructing a five star hotel on land. This amendment rendered cheap and easy the costs of setting up a Gaming business in Goa. In 2003,Mr Manohar Parrikar, as Chief Minister, when Kidar Nath Sahani was Governor brought in 19 changes through an amendment of the GDDGA , which increased the punishment and fines for keeping unlicensed gaming houses and punishment for gaming in unlicensed gaming houses, cancellation of license of licensed gaming houses for any operations conducted in breach of the gaming license. The effect of this amendment led to licensed gaming houses whether on land or offshore getting entrenched without in any way being affected by any further significant obligations. It can easily be seen that all political parties recognized under the Representation of Peoples Act collectively played significant political roles in legalizing and licensing common gaming houses in Goa.
