More than two years after first signing a casino management contract in the country, Delta Corp, India’s largest casino operator, has been issued a gaming license in Nepal.
Delta Corp announced on Thursday, that its Deltin Group subsidiary had been issued a license to run a casino in Nepal. The announcement comes after the company’s October 2017 announcement that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Everest Hospitality and Hotel Pvt Ltd to lease space at the Marriot Hotel being constructed in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu.
Delta hinted at the time, that by June 2018, the five-star, 235-room Marriott Kathmandu would open; however, the property didn’t start accepting guests until July 2019. In Thursday announcement, Delta avoided details on when its new casino might actually open, saying only that it expects to begin gaming operations at the new hotel “soon.”
As reported by calvinayre.com, Delta is the only publicly traded casino operator in India and undoubtedly the country’s largest. In the state of Goa, Delta runs three floating casinos and one land-based venue. It operates one casino in the state of Sikkim and a hotel in the union territory of Daman. For years, the latter operation has been waiting for approval to open a casino without any indication when it would happen. Also, Delta runs a small but budding online poker and rummy business.
India is the main source of customers for Nepal’s few casinos, which remain prohibited to local residents. In five-star casinos, full-scale casinos (slot and tables) are allowed, while four-star venues are restricted to electronic gaming operations.
Delta casino’s opening will be welcomed by Nepal’s government, as it has vowed to increase international tourism through its Visit Nepal 2020 initiative. There are a number of current casino rivals also awaiting Delta’s coming, including Australia’s Silver Heritage Group, Indian firms Pride Group and Mahjong Group and the Sri Lanka-based Bally’s.
