Pay one lakh for a shot at winning 5 crore
Goa’s new gaming festival to charge steep entry free, offer whopping prize money.
Clearly, this is a contest strictly for the most die-hard gamblers only. Just to participate in the World Gaming Festival, which begins today in Goa, one must shell out a whopping R 1 lakh for a shot at a collective bounty of R 5 crore.
But the organisers are unfazed by the steep entry fee, claiming that they have already received many entries. “The amount is not a big hurdle for an avid gamer as he has a high disposable income. Also, we are giving a huge amount as prize money, so we have kept the registration fee at R 1 lakh, which includes a lot of perks,” says Alan D’Mello, associate director – marketing communications of the event’s organiser, Delta Corp Limited. Over 600 players are expected to compete in five skill-based games, played in the knockout format.
The aforementioned perks include free return airfare, a chauffeur-driven luxury car with door-to-door pick-up, five star accommodation, meals as well as entry into various parties at Casino Royale - India’s largest live gaming casino vessel in Goa.
D’Mello claims that the event has been created in response to demand from the casino’s guests. “Many of them are avid gamers, including some who are veterans of international and Indian game tournaments. So, rather than one, we are hosting five tournaments simultaneously at the same venue. It’s a new, untried format.”