With two new casinos set to open in India this year, what was once a no-go area for investors is attracting considerable interest
The fanfare that accompanied the opening of Casino Sikkim in March 2009 illustrates the high expectations that are riding on its success. The tourism minister of Sikkim, RB Subba, spun a roulette wheel and Casino Sikkim’s CEO, Naresh Subba, said he had been entrusted by the state to attract more tourists.
Much was made in the media about the revenue the casino would generate – although when it opened there were only two roulette wheels, 10 slot machines and a table each for flush, baccarat and blackjack.
Casino Sikkim, located on one floor of the Royal Plaza hotel in Gangtok, bears little resemblance to the mega-casinos of Macau or Singapore. But as India’s first land-based live casino (where dealing is done by people rather than machines), its opening was a giant step forward for the country’s nascent gambling industry.
Sikkim will be home to a second land-based live casino when a much larger operation opens later this year at the Mayfair-Gangtok hotel.
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