With lakhs in prize money, ‘Grand Housie’ attracts thousands in S Goa

Colva: Musical evenings in south Goa are offering cash prizes worth lakhs of rupees to winners of the ‘Grand Housie’, attracting massive crowds and raising eyebrows about the legality of such events.
Last week, Helping Hands of Pedda-Benaulim organised a ‘Grand Housie’ behind St John the Baptist Church, with Rs 13 lakh in cash prizes on offer. While the event was marketed as a musical gathering, the massive crowd—numbering thousands—was clearly more interested in trying their luck at Housie.
A young girl hit the jackpot, winning Rs 10 lakh—handed over in cash a couple of days later—for the full house. The entry fee? A cool Rs 1,000, which entitled participants to three Housie coupons.
The apparent ease of setting up such events—minimal permissions, high returns, and cash-based prizes—has led to a surge in similar gatherings across south Goa.
A popular number game, Housie or Tambola, is a number game, with coupons typically having 15 numbers, ranging from 01 to 90. Numbered coins are randomly picked from a box, and players cross the numbers off their ticket if they have it after each number is called out. There are several ways to play—Jaldi Five, Top Line, Middle Line, Bottom Line, and Full House—but the most popular form remains Jaldi Five, where the coupon with the first five numbers gets the prize.
Following the roaring success in Benaulim, more events are lined up—March 13: Benzoy Boys of Verna are hosting a Rs 10 lakh Grand Housie during a free tiatr. March 14: Beats of Navelim will stage a ‘Musical Extravaganza’ with cash prizes totalling Rs 6 lakh. At the ‘Easter Blast’, Youth of Navelim are organising a Konkani musical show featuring a Rs 10 lakh Grand Housie.
“You only need lotto books and a venue. Permission to use sound from the police or collectorate is required,” said an organiser, who chose to remain anonymous. Ticket sales fund the prizes, and musicians or tiatr artistes are paid between Rs 35,000 and Rs 65,000, depending on their popularity.
Colva PI Ritesh Tari said that while sound permissions were secured for the March 8 event, he was unaware of the cash transactions.
DySP Siddanth Shirodkar said he has instructed his police inspectors to issue the organisers show-cause notice to present before them all the permission obtained to organise an event where cash is involved.