Bombay High Court Blocks Delta Corp’s Gaming Expansion in Daman
Delta Corp has suffered a regulatory setback in Daman after the Bombay High Court rejected its bid to secure permission for electronic amusement and slot machines at The Deltin, its five-star hotel in Nani Daman.
- Bombay High Court rejects Delta Corp’s request for slot machine licenses at The Deltin in Daman.
- Legal framework in Daman fails to permit electronic amusement and slot machines.
- Decision could delay Delta Corp’s broader gaming and hospitality plans in the region.
Delta Corp sought licenses to install 140 slot machines at The Deltin. According to Bar and Bench, the court said there was no operative legal framework in the Union Territory that would allow the activity.
The bench also noted, “As of today, the operation of slot machines is strictly prohibited.”
The request intended to counter the 2014 and 2018 rulings which essentially rejected all casino applications.
Legal and Commercial Fallout
The ruling matters because it closes off a licensing route that Delta Corp had pursued through litigation for years, with the company’s subsidiary, Daman Hospitality Private Limited, having sought relief under the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act, 1976.
The judges found the Goa Public Gambling (Amendment) Act, 1992 had never been brought into force in Daman and Diu through a commencement notification, leaving the company without an enforceable right to demand a license.
Delta Corp has not publicly detailed its next move, but the decision is likely to delay any broader gaming-linked hospitality expansion in the market.
