A peek into Asia’s largest offshore gaming destination, Deltin Royale

Casinos are synonymous with Las Vegas. The iconic Las Vegas Strip, an almost 7 km long road lined with hotels, restaurants, and entertainment hubs, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, and a driving force behind the resort city’s economy. While Las Vegas continues to remain a far-fetched dream for many Indians, closer home, we have our very own Strip. 

Goa’s gorgeous Mandovi River, running parallelly to the state’s capital Panjim, comes to life every evening with floating casinos lighting up the river. Tourists and locals flock to these casinos–weekdays and weekends alike, to not just spend an evening of betting and games, but also to experience what lies beyond the lighted ship decks.  

With the same curiosity as any tourist in the beach haven, YS Life was intrigued to know what laid inside the huge, anchored ship. Thus, we made a recent trip to Deltin Royale, which claims to be Asia’s largest offshore casino, and try our beginner’s luck! 

Conceived in 2012 by Jayedv Mody, the Deltin Group opened Deltin Royale for guests in 2013. While the Mandovi River houses around six casinos (three of which are owned and managed by the Deltin Group), Deltin Royale royally stands out from the crowd. 

At the first sight, it looks huge, luxurious, and mysterious. Reason being, Deltin Royale, which is anchored the farthest from the bank, is seemingly more ‘private’ than the other casinos, and there is no way someone standing at the Panjim riverside can ever guess what laid beyond the sparking lights and empty decks of the ship. 

On reaching one of the two boarding points–the Panjim or Reis Magos jetty, one has to select a package from the five to six available options. The packages range between Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 per person and include offers on games, unlimited food and beverages, and access to live entertainment. The prices are increased by Rs 500 on weekends. Deltin Royale operates round the clock, and also offers separate day-packages for guests willing to indulge in serious-gaming business. 

Once purchased, the Deltin Royale team takes its guests on a feeder boat to the ship. This five-minute ride from the jetty to the ship offers a beautiful sight of the Panjim city, and for once, I almost forgot the disordered and bustling crowd of the city. But one must brace themselves for this calm does not last for too long. 

As I deboard the boat and step into the Deltin Royale ship, I enter a different world altogether! 

The floating casino is spread across 50,000 sq ft and five decks, offering close to 1,000 gaming positions. With an average footfall of 400 to 500 people every day, the pulse inside Deltin Royale is like any other casino. 

Overwhelmed at the first sight, I hear people shouting “hurrah!” from one end, and spot melancholic faces on the other end. The inside of a casino is chaotic, to say the least. 

Three of the five decks feature gaming areas. Deltin Royale offers games for both the serious gamers and those there to try their hand for the first time. The casino features the likes of Indian flush or teen patti, roulette, Texas hold’em poker, baccarat, blackjack, casino war, 7 up 7 down, 3-card poker, 5-card poker, mini flush, andar bahar, money wheel, texas house poker, and dragon tiger, among others. For newbies, Deltin Royale has assigned staff to help understand the nuances and rules of the games.

For the serious players, Deltin Royale offers dedicated game rooms. These rooms usually have the regular customers who wish to play games like poker, rummy, and teen patti, at peace, away from the crowd, and the bids here go up to lakhs. 

Deltin Royale also features two restaurants–Whiskys and Vegas. Seated on the same deck, opposite each other, there is stark difference between Whiskys and Vegas, almost giving a feel of two different worlds. The former is the VIP resto-bar, featuring high-end and foreign liquors, serving multi-cuisine food, and the entertainment here features live fusion music performances with artists playing saxophones and classic pianos. 

On the other end of the deck, Vegas is open to every visitor who comes on-board. The open bar serves liquor as per the guest's package or band, the food is served in a buffet, and the entertainment here is peppy and groovy. During my visit, a local rock band performed at Vegas. 

The topmost deck, known as the Sky Deck, is an al fresco lounge-bar, offering more of a hip ambiance, and featuring live Cuban salsa performances. The Sky Deck is popular among guests who visit to enjoy the ‘cruise’ side of Deltin Royale and prefer enjoying their food and wine while overlooking the city. 

Guests who are looking to have a rounded experience of the Deltin Group, can opt to stay in the company’s five-star property, the Deltin Suites, in Candolim. While Deltin Royale brings in live gaming, entertainment, and curated cuisines together, Deltin Suites also features a casino, bringing in electronic gaming and hospitality under one roof. 

(The article has been updated to fix typos and add extra information).