Rs 90 cr tax collected from Goa offshore casinos last fiscal

Goa government collected Rs 90 crore in the form of entertainment and entry tax from five off shore casino vessels during financial year 2012-13, state Legislative Assembly was told today.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, in a written reply tabled on the floor of the House, informed that Rs 79.65 crore were collected during FY12-13 from the off shore casinos as entertainment tax and Rs 10.04 crore as entry fee from the people entering the vessels.
Goa has five offshore casino vessels, of which one was towed away recently for non-payment of dues worth Rs 12 crore.

The ship was owned by former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda's company M/s Golden Globe Hotels Private Limited.

The off shore casino owned by Highstreet Cruises and Entertainment Private Limited (MV Casino Royale), which paid Rs 28.53 crore, is the highest entertainment and annual fee tax paying casino.

It also paid Rs four crore, the highest amount of entry fee during FY13.

MV Pride of Goa, the casino owned by Goa Coastal Resorts and Recreation Private Limited, has been the second highest tax paying. It paid Rs 19.10 crore as entertainment tax and annual fee and Rs 3.19 crore as entry fee.

While all the five casinos have paid entertainment and annual fee, MV Arabian Seaking, owned by Victor Hotels and Motels Limited, has not paid entry fee as it is not operational.