As a much-loved holiday destination, there is no other place that can beat Goa. With its sandy beaches and laid-back lifestyle, it has all the ingredients that make for a relaxing holiday. Goa also happens to be one of the two states (the other being Sikkim) in India where casinos are allowed. This has resulted in a chain of casinos across the state. The floating casinos in Panjim are a favourite among tourists.
New vistas
I recently had my first experience of a casino when I visited the newest one in Panjim by Golden Globe Hotels Private Limited – Big Daddy moored on the Mandovi River. As I headed to the casino, it was dusk and the entire landscape had become mesmerising with twinkling lights that reflected on the water making colourful patterns.
The Big Daddy Casino is an offshore casino with ‘no-limits’ tables, and is touted to be the biggest and the most modern offshore gaming destination in India. In fact, the casino itself is a unique blend of gaming and high living with restaurants and children gaming spaces as well. While Las Vegas and Macau have been traditionally casino hotspots, Goa is now giving stiff competition to these destinations.
The casino is betting big on events and the launch had social media star and multi-millionaire Dan Bilzerian present for the finals of the India Poker Championship (IPC).
Narinder Punj, chief visionary officer and mentor, Big Daddy Goa, who is an industry veteran, says, “I have been in this business for the last 38 years and I was overseas for over 18 years. I started my career in Baghdad and initially I had no clue what a casino was or how it works. I started work as a dealer and trained in various casino games to work my way up. I worked across the globe, working for Casinos Austria International (Vienna) and sailed the Agean, Mediterranean, Caribbean Seas and Atlantic, Pacific oceans between 1982 and 1987.”
Incidentally he has led the openings of reputed casinos in Eastern Europe, Poland, Russia, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Egypt, Kenya and Palestinian Authority.
Game On
Big Daddy Casino is all set to revolutionise the gaming industry and redefine the rules of offshore gaming equipped with gaming equipment at par with international casinos.
The games you can play here include poker, roulette, Indian flush, American roulette, black jack, baccarat, MangPatta, Andar Bahar and more.
The casino has 110 tables in an area of around 50,000 sq ft spread over three decks. There are also 40 slot machines, so you can also try your luck playing virtual games.
Level 2 has high stakes gaming and a card room with dedicated Poker and Teen Patti as well. Level 3 has an ‘invitation only’ Gaming Zone and has four luxurious premium rooms where guests can relax.
“We have several Indian games that are popular with our guests. Andar Bahar for instance has caught the fancy of a lot of our guests and is very popular in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh,” says Punj.
Do More
Big Daddy Casino is a specially commissioned Panamanian vessel called MV Lucky Seven, operated by Golden Globe Hotels Private Limited. Apart from three levels of gaming, there is a lavish multi-cuisine restaurant called Aish-O-Rum, a bar, a live barbecue area, a sundeck and a variety of entertainment programmes available to guests.
There is also a delightful on-site gift shop that retails casino-inspired merchandise, mini-games and memorabilia.
Daddy’s Kids is a child-friendly zone where children can relax and enjoy themselves through movie screenings, a Playstation Arena (PSP) and a Snooze Zone for kids to take rest.
If you are looking for a good meal, Hazoor, the upscale lounge with a Mid-eastern ambience, serves a fine selection of champagnes, liqueurs and vintage wines.
