Goa Police arrested 11 individuals in a pre-dawn raid on Puppy’s Casino Gold in Candolim, North Goa, for operating an illegal live card gambling operation, violating the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act, 1976. The crackdown, led by the Crime Branch, followed a tip-off and was spurred by allegations raised by Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai, who accused onshore casinos of engaging in live gaming, a practice restricted to offshore vessels like those on the Mandovi River.

Sardesai, the Fatorda MLA, highlighted the issue during Tuesday’s state assembly session, presenting a sting operation video showing live card games at an onshore casino, contravening regulations that permit such activities only in five-star hotels or offshore casinos. Superintendent of Police (Crime Branch) Rahul Gupta confirmed the raid targeted Puppy’s Casino Gold, where 11 individuals—including a dealer, a shift manager, and patrons from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Bihar, and Goa—were caught red-handed. Seized items, valued at Rs 35 lakh, included a live gambling table, playing cards, electronic display screens, gambling chips, and a shuffler shoe.

The raid underscores ongoing concerns about illegal gambling in Goa, one of only three Indian states—alongside Daman and Sikkim—where casinos are legal under strict conditions. The 1976 Act mandates that casinos operate only in five-star hotels or offshore vessels with government approval, yet illegal activities persist, often linked to organized crime and money laundering. An FIR has been filed, and investigations, supervised by Deputy SP Suraj Halarnkar and PI Kishor Ramanan, are ongoing to trace potential networks behind the operation.

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