India’s largest gaming company Delta Corp has confirmed the reopening of its Sikkim casino after the government of the northeastern state eased restrictions this week.
But there is no reopening in sight in Goa, where COVID-19 restrictions have been extended well into a third month.
In a company filing, Delta Corp – which operates three offshore casinos and the Deltin Suites hotel and casino in Goa – said it reopened Casino Deltin Denzong, located at the Denzong Regency hotel in Gangtok, Sikkim, on Tuesday.
The government has allowed the reopening subject to safety norms being followed, with Delta Corp stating it “will follow all the safety norms laid down by the state in this regards.”
There remains no indication of when Goa might follow suit, with the government instead extending current lockdown measures until at least 12 July. All casinos, hotels, bars, restaurants and tourism facilities were ordered closed in late April as India’s COVID-19 crisis spiralled out of control.
Daily case numbers have since subsided from a high of more than 400,000 cases a day to 34,703 on Monday. Goa reached a high of 4,195 on 7 May but has fallen to 130.
Delta Corp said this week, “The casinos operated by the Company and its subsidiaries in Goa will remain closed during this period. We are unable to estimate the quantum of potential losses on account of this temporary closure and the pandemic at this time.”
