Gaming and entertainment major Delta Corp resumed casino operations at its subsidiary in Kathmandu, Nepal on Wednesday. The news comes on the back of the Nepal government’s nod to reopen the casino industry after an 18-month pandemic-induced break.
The Deltin Casino is located at Kathmandu’s Marriott hotel and is spread across 15,000 sq. ft. offering gaming and live entertainment with 220+ gaming positions, a dedicated VIP gaming room, a restaurant, and live stage acts.
Speaking on the occasion, Anil Malani, CEO-Deltin said, “We are excited to see the silver lining after the gaming & hospitality sector was heavily hit by two waves of the pandemic. Safety and wellbeing of our patrons and staff are of paramount importance to us and we are following all government guidelines & our state-of-the-art safety protocol ‘BestAssured’ across all our properties.”
Deltin had done a campaign “We are Ready” in the month of July announcing 100% vaccination of all its staff across its properties in India and Nepal.
The markets welcomed the development, with Delta Corp shares rising by 1.39% to Rs 226.10. The company recorded a net loss of Rs 29.18 crore in Q1 FY22 as against a net loss of Rs 28.67 crore in Q1 FY21. Net sales during the quarter rose 57% Y-o-Y to Rs 75.87 crore during the quarter.
Apart from operating a casino in Nepal, Delta Corp, along with its subsidiaries, also owns and runs casinos in Goa and Sikkim, offering close to 1,800 gaming positions. The company also has an online presence via the Adda52.com brand.
“The casino operators are resuming their operations, in line with the decision of the District Administration Office of Kathmandu on September 1 to allow economic, social, and business activities by following health safety protocols,” the Nepal Casino Association (NCA) said in a statement.
A copy of this statement was shared with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation and Metropolitan Police Range.
The Covid-19 Crisis Management Centre, in a letter, has directed the NCA to work closely with the District Covid-19 Crisis Management Centre to ensure permissions are sought from concerned agencies.
Casinos in Nepal have remained shut since 19 March 2020 due to rising Covid-19 cases in the country. Like Goa and Sikkim in India, the curbs on the casino industry have led to economic devastation in the tourism industry.
While the state government in Sikkim has allowed casinos to reopen, the wait for a nod from the government in Goa is still awaited.