The Casinos in Goa are a good source of revenue for the state government, generating a whopping sum of ₹135.45 crore in the form of various taxes, reported Press Trust of India.
The revenue contributed by the casinos for the year 2012-2013 includes entertainment tax, liquor license, entry fee and port charges (for off shore Casinos).
Goa's comparatively young casino industry was granted the Casino license with the amendment of The Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act, 1976 to boost up tourism in the state.
For entering a casino, a person has to shell out ₹500 as entry fee which generated ₹17.96 crore for the government for the financial year 2012-13. The government, which had lowered the entry tax from ₹2000 in previous financial year, increased the license fee of the Casinos.
A license fee of ₹6.5 crore for off-shore casino netted ₹32.50 crore and ₹2.5 crore for on-shore casino earned ₹25 crore, in the last financial year.
While, entertainment tax earned a revenue of ₹53.29 crore (2012-13) for the government since the state levies a 15 per cent entertainment tax.
Then the Value Added Tax (VAT) on food and beverages accounted for about ₹2 crore from the industry.
A sum of ₹1 crore and ₹1.2 crore were paid by off-shore and on-shore casinos respectively as liquor licence fee, according to the figures.
The Casinos, which caters to a large number of foreign tourists of Goa, employs around 5000 staffs.
