In a significant legal setback for the offshore gaming industry, the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court has barred a new, large-scale casino vessel owned by Deltin from entering the Mandovi River. The interim order, delivered on May 6, stipulates that the ship cannot sail into the Panaji port without first securing all necessary safety certifications and obtaining express permission from the court.
The ruling by Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit S. Jamsandekar comes in response to a writ petition filed by the “Enough Is Enough Movement.” The group, represented by prominent Goan freedom fighter Libia Lobo Sardesai, writer Uday Bhembre, and social activists Sudeep Tamankar and Harish Madkaikar, expressed concerns over the environmental and logistical impact of the significantly larger vessel.
Central to the legal dispute is the sheer scale of the new ship, the M.V. Deltin Royale, which is intended to replace the company’s existing vessel, the M.V. Royale Flotel. While the current ship is licensed for just 70 passengers, the new replacement is estimated to have a massive capacity of 2,000 customers.
The petitioners successfully argued that the new vessel is considerably larger in both size and capacity compared to its predecessor, prompting the court to intervene before it joins the six offshore casino vessels currently anchored in the Mandovi.
The division bench made it clear that regulatory compliance is non-negotiable. “Considering that as of today the vessel does not possess a certificate of survey, we deem it appropriate to direct that the vessel in question shall not sail into the Panjim Port… without obtaining all the required certifications,” the court stated.
Crucially, the bench added a second layer of oversight: even if Deltin acquires the necessary technical documents, the ship is forbidden from entering the river until the court grants specific prior permission.
The Goa government has also been drawn into the restrictions. The bench noted an assurance from the state government that it would not amend the existing license—originally issued for the 70-passenger M.V. Royale Flotel—to accommodate the new vessel without first presenting that decision to the court.
If the state decides to permit casino operations on the new vessel, it must place that proposal before the judges before any formal orders are issued to Deltin.
The High Court has scheduled the next hearing for July 6, leaving the future of the massive new gaming vessel in a state of legal limbo as the monsoon season approaches.
