Delta Corp Opens New Casino at Zuri White Sands GOA Resort and Casino

Posted on: June 6, 2022, 10:21h. 

Last updated on: June 6, 2022, 10:32h.

Delta Corp is determined to be one of the largest, if not the largest, casino operators in Goa. As it grows and focuses on that goal, the casino operator has launched operations at Deltin Zuri, a casino at The Zuri White Sands Goa Resort & Casino.

This is the first casino that Delta has opened in Southern Goa, according to The Times of India. It is located in Pedda Varca in the municipality of Salcete. Delta operates the venue through one of its subsidiaries, Delta Pleasure Cruise Company Private Limited, and began receiving gamblers there on June 1.

Deltin Zuri is the fourth land-based casino of Delta. It follows Deltin Suites-Goa, Deltin Denzong-Gangtok, and Deltin Casino International-Kathmandu. In January, the company announced that it would replace one of its floating casinos, Deltin Caravela with a new boat. This was done to increase the potential capacity by 2.5 times.

Sailing Beyond the Horizon

Zuri announced in April that it was going to give its casino operations at the IR to Delta Corp. Deltin Zuri offers more than 50 gaming positions, including baccarat and blackjack, Andar Bahar roulette, 3 Card poker, and slot machines. However, live gaming is not one of the options.

Delta has big dreams that go beyond its current footprint. It plans on creating a multi-game platform that will allow it to offer other skill games. Hardik Dhebar, chief financial officer at Delta, said that these will include fantasy sports and rummy.

On March 7, the company began to fully reintroduce its gaming operations in Goa. Previously, since last September, casinos could only receive guests who had received the full COVID-19 vaccine.

Delta’s Sikkim casino, however, reopened on February 11. On February 28, Delta’s casino in Nepal reopened at its full capacity.

Despite the closures last year, Delta had a good year. It reported in April that revenue increased 48.4% year-on-year to Rs765.2 crore (US$100.5 million) for the fiscal year ending March 31. The last quarter of the period delivered $6.3 million in profit.

Planned Venue Stalls

Last October, Delta said that it had received permission to develop an integrated resort (IR) in Pernem. The Goa Investment Promotion Board (GIPB) signed off on the idea, but it fizzled several months later.

The GIPB initially approved the project in principle. It followed the proposal to create the investment promotion zone a month earlier. At the time, the government also allowed one month for objections. It didn’t take long for an objection to arrive.

Manohar Ajgaonkar, Pernem’s deputy chief minister, objected to casinos being allowed in his constituency. As a result, Delta had to temporarily call off its plans as authorities postponed a decision to establish the investment promotion zone in Dhargalim.

At the beginning of May, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered Delta to stop the operation of Deltin Caravela, also known as Kings Casino. The court alleged that the company failed to get coastal regulation zone clearance for Goa’s Mandovi Rover. At the time, NGT stated that Delta subsidiary High Street Cruises and Entertainment Private Ltd. couldn’t resume operations until it obtained the clearance.

Delta then filed a statement stating that the Supreme Court of India has issued a stay of the NGT’s order, allowing the Deltin Caravela was able to resume its operations. The ship contributed approximately 5% of the company’s revenues for the financial year that ended March 31, according to The Times of India.