Goa High Court orders casino drop-off curbs on Panaji's DB Marg

Judges in Goa have directed that a section of Dayanand Bandodkar Marg be closed to parked vehicles. The area covered runs between the petrol pump close to Panaji Residency and Panaji Church. Under the arrangement described in local reporting cited by that account, cars and other vehicles carrying offshore casino patrons are to set down their passengers at a fixed spot close to the Old Secretariat.

Justices Valmiki Menezes and Amit Jamsandekar, hearing the matter as a bench, called for barricades as well as extra zebra crossings equipped with pedestrian signals, so that crossing the road becomes less hazardous. In their view, evening congestion in the city has grown worse because of movement tied to casinos and because drivers park indiscriminately along the roadside.

During the hearing, the judges focused on how often the rules are broken at major intersections, where cars have allegedly halted in zones marked for no parking or no stopping and blocked zebra crossings. Better CCTV equipment is also being sought by the court, with the aim of reading number plates more dependably so that officials can take action over unlawful parking and drop-offs made without permission.

The order follows congestion around casino points along Dayanand Bandodkar Marg, with some vehicles reportedly stopping in no-parking zones when attending the casino points. The source gives no appeal status, response from casino operators or transport providers, or deadline for the measures.

Separately, the 2025 Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill took effect in India in May, banning online real-money games, the source states. The ban covers games where users pay money in the hope of making money, and prohibits banks and payment providers from processing real-money gaming transactions. Offenders face fines and up to five years in jail.