Land-based casino operators in the Indian state of Goa are demanding a reduction in recent license fee hikes while simultaneously seeking an expansion of their list of gaming options.

Last month, Goa’s state government approved stiff hikes in license fees and other mandatory payments for both the land-based casinos operating out of hotels and resorts as well as the floating casinos plying their trade on the Mandovi river.

But the land-based operators are crying foul, saying the floating casino fee hikes were proportionally smaller than the hikes imposed on the land-based gaming venues. Last Friday, Grand 7 Casino partner Kundan Shetye told local reporters that he supported the government’s right to impose the hikes, but warned that the proposed land-based fee hikes “will kill the onshore casinos.”

In reality, the government’s new fee structure is based on a sliding scale. For land-based venues, fees increase with the size of their gaming floor, while the floating casino fees increase based on the capacity of the vessels. In each case, the maximum annual fee tops out at Rs400m (US$6m).