We landed in Goa cutting through the blue skies at 38,000 feet in the afternoon and to our surprise, the airport was bustling with tourists from across India. It took us about 40 minutes to collect our baggage and another 30 minutes to brave the traffic and exit the airport. Before we hit the serene roads of Dabolim we learned that more than 40,000 tourists had arrived in Goa in the last two working days! As our car screeched onto the porch of Deltin Suites in an hour’s time, the sprawling 1,000 sq ft property was nothing less than a reminder of a Portuguese house with the artwork and furniture to match the conventional construction. With their in-house casino and 106 rooms, a swimming pool, and a lounge area, it was the restaurant that serves traditional Goan food that we needed the most after the tiring journey. The Goan version of idlis, the sanna worked well with chouris pao, while poee went with red rice for our meal. The mandatory traditional Goan dessert bebinca made for a sweet ending.
Eat, play, repeat!
Let’s admit it! The giant ship floating on the sea all lit up catches everyone’s imagination and soon that’s exactly where we were headed on a jetty ride. Popularly known as the ‘gambling place,’ we were told Deltin Royale, is India’s largest casino. Sailing through turquoise blue waters with the chill sea breeze in our hair and the picturesque skyline of the pristine city receding, it took just eight minutes for our boat to swirl the placid Mandovi and anchor by the 10-year-old vessel. Though we followed club rules and wore our formals, much to our surprise we were informed that there was no dress code here. Soon we were escorted to the gaming floor and learned that Taapsee Pannu had shot the last scene of her film Badla in the casino which is part of the opulent 65,000 square feet of fully carpeted and lit-up decks. Each deck had entertainment and games with a rooftop reserved for food and a beautiful view.
The slot machines were hissing while men and women hunched in semi-circles around gaming tables. Dressed in gold shirts, the dealers were shuffling chips, cashiers sat seemingly unreachable in their cages while croupiers in black formals looked strict and ready to explain everything about the game you choose to play.
As we headed further to explore the 4,280-tonne, 85.30-meter long, five-storied American vessel moored on Goa’s Mandovi river, we are mesmerised to see 123 tables and 850 gaming positions, 30 roulette tables, and the country’s largest poker room. We took in the atmosphere time and headed out to witness live gigs — local bands, vocals, magic show, stand-up comedy, international showgirls, and much more. “It feels like a mini Las Vegas,” one of our companions excitedly announced. But by now, our stomachs growled with hunger and we walked into Whiskey (an inhouse restaurant) and dug into a lavish spread of starters and mains with a variety of drinks.
Slots! Baccarat! Blackjack!
Time to take a chance — we started with roulette (thanks to movies that have glamorised the game). But unlike Joseph Jagger who is credited to have developed the game and had won $4,800,000, we swiftly lost half the currency we had purchased. We moved on to play Andar Bahar as we sipped our piña coladas and Apple Fizz. (Before the betting begins, the dealer shuffles, cuts the deck and exposes one card as ‘Joker’. There are two betting sides which are named ‘Andar’ and ‘Bahar’. You must correctly guess which side the ‘Joker’ card will come to win the bet.) We managed to recover what we lost earlier!
It was already midnight and the buzz in the casino hit a crescendo, as the place runs around the clock. With more than 1,200 gaming positions Deltin offers more than 11 local and international games including Baccarat, 3 Card Poker, 5 Card Poker, Mini Flush, Mang Patta, Black Jack, Casino War, Texas Hold’em Poker, and Indian Flush, among others. “On an ordinary day, the footfall is nearly 1,000,” says Anil Malani, CEO of Deltin group who informed us that the minimum price to play is `3,000 and rates vary on weekdays and weekends. “But you need to be 21 years of age to enter the gaming floors.” This extravagant gaming scene has a lot to offer among all age groups and visitors can get a luxurious stay and game experience at the same time.
The sun was about to rise when we stepped out of the Deltin Royale. Our wad of currency intact in our wallets and we returned with a new and better definition of gaming and entertainment.
The writer visited the Deltin Royale casino on the invitation.
priyanka.chandani @newindianexpress.com