Like in most towns of northeast India, dusk descends quickly in Gangtok. As shops start winding up, the only places that continue to buzz with activity are three casinos, located within 10 km of Sikkim’s capital city.
Sherap Lepcha, general manager of Casino Mahjong, is busy overseeing the casino which, on a weekday evening, hosts over 150 guests. “We provide night life to Sikkim,” says Mr. Lepcha. But he feels that the infrastructure does not match the taxes.
Mr. Lepcha explains that out of the entry fee of ₹3,500 for every visitor, ₹1,000 goes as tax to the State and ₹700 as GST. “We pay 28% GST and above that 30% income tax, but the nearest airport is almost 120 km away,” he says.
T.J. Namgyal, a descendent of the Sikkim royal family, hops from one table to other at Casino Mahjong, a 7,000 sq.ft. facility with 15 gaming tables, in a five-star hotel near Ranipool. The 56-year-old says Sikkim is waiting for the airport at Pakyong.
Not for Sikkim residents
Tourists coming to the casinos do not like to travel four hours by road from Bagdogra airport in Bengal. The local Sikkimese cannot enter the casinos. In 2016, the State government amended the Sikkim Casinos (Control & Tax) Rules to ban residents from playing. Many see casinos as another manifestation of the huge attraction for lotteries in the State. The Sikkim State lottery has 24 draws a day. A.K. Ghatani, Information Minister, says, “We are waiting for a date from the Prime Minister for inauguration [of the airport].” Trial flights have been operated.
