PANAJI: Delta Corp has decided to temporarily shelve its proposed integrated resort-cum-casino township that was supposed to come up in Goa’s Dhargal. The Mumbai-based gaming and hospitality firm said that it is keeping its Rs 2,000–2,500 crore investment on hold till it gets clarity on the Centre’s GST slab changes.Delta Corp’s decision comes amidst strong indications that Centre plans to levy a 40% GST rate on casinos under the GST 2.0 framework, up from the current 28% on all bets.“The 40% GST contemplated will make the entire sector unviable,” said Delta Corp chairman Jaydev Mody. “It will affect thousands of jobs, affect visitation to the state, will negatively affect revenue collection and make redundant all the capex that has been incurred by the industry.” He said that “Delta had planned to invest Rs 2,000-2,500 crore in an integrated resort which would have been the first of its kind in India, which would have given direct employment to 10,000 persons. We have decided to temporarily shelve the project until there is clarity on all the GST issues.”A PIL related to the integrated resort project is pending before the Bombay high court at Goa. Spread over 90 acres close to Manohar International Airport, Mopa, the resort was initially supposed to be completed by 2027.On Aug 4, Delta Corp reported a 36.1% year-on-year surge in net profit at Rs 29.4 crore for the first quarter ending June 30. The company’s revenue also rose modestly to Rs 184.7 crore from Rs 178 crore in the same period a year ago. However, the company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) fell 16.2% year-on-year at Rs 39.6 crore.India’s leading casino operator operates casinos in Goa and Sikkim. These casinos, where live gaming is permitted, form a tiny part of the gaming industry compared to online gaming and rampant illegal platforms.“The question of investing in either of the two states does not arise with this uncertainty. On the one hand, there is the retrospective GST demand from the department, and on the other, there is a prospective GST hike to 40%,” said Mody.Mody said that the 40% GST would cripple the sector, threatening thousands of jobs, reducing tourism footfalls, slashing revenue, and “wasting huge past investments”. Delta Corp is set to bring in a larger and more modern offshore casino ship to replace an existing vessel in Goa’s river Mandovi.Licensed casinos—on-shore and off-shore—have been operating in Goa for more than two decades. Casinos have drawn in large numbers of domestic tourists, and this has been a boon for airlines, hotels, retail stores, taxi operators, and local restaurants.