The gambling bill in Meghalaya is here to stay after Chief Minister for the region, Conrad K Sangma, cited its financial benefits to the local economy.The Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 has drawn the ire of several influential religious organizations in the region over recent weeks and months. Still, Mr Sangma was resolute in his reasoning for keeping the bill in place.
He told reporters: “If we repeal (the Act), then there will be nothing to regulate, and we will only be losing close to Rs 8 crore to Rs 10 crore of revenue.”
Mr Sangma also displayed the social responsibility that proponents of gambling legalization are imploring from India’s regional leaders. He acknowledged the role of regulations in deterring underage participants from gambling and was quoted as saying:
“If there is a way which we can get revenue and at the same time ensure we don’t allow it to be part of Shillong and other major towns so that our youth are not impacted and ensure our youth don’t play and none of the citizens of Meghalaya is allowed to play, we are examining all those aspects.”
Why My Sangma’s Stance Is Important
Industry observers are praising Mr Sangma for showing some strong leadership in the face of fierce opposition. There is widespread hope that the courage of his convictions will wear off on other regional politicians – particularly when they see how beneficial the sector can prove to their area.
The state of Meghalaya is an outlier in the case of India, which continues to make gambling widely illegal for the majority of its citizens.There remain strong calls from industry experts for the country to maximize the benefits of gambling legalization.
One sector organization, ENV Media, highlights the urgent need for sensible guidelines in India in its study Off-Shore Gambling Licenses And Regulated Markets.
They surmise: “India is a particularly emblematic case of similarly impending regulatory needs. The prohibition of betting is widely seen to have been ineffective. In a nation with widespread illegal betting and gambling (reportedly worth well over $100bn annually), criminal activity has had the chance to flourish and continues to engage public resources and law-enforcement efforts. Emerging markets (India in particular but not only) will benefit from creating their own Central regulatory framework, a Gambling oversight body, and a Consumer Data protection regulation.”
What Are The Benefits Of Gambling Regulation?
The advantages of gambling legalization do not seem lost on Mr Sangma, but most of his peers continue to play politics around the subject to score cheap points. Many regions have introduced bills attempting to outlaw gambling completely – the high courts of Kerala, Madras, and Tamil Nadu, each ruling the individual acts unconstitutional.
However, the failure to embrace an increasingly popular practice in India may prove shortsighted. Millions follow through on their cricket predictions via dangerous underground betting operations every day. One only needs to look at the amount of money that changes hands illegally for a One Day International involving India. According to a report by the Doha-based International Centre for Sports Security in 2016: “The illegal betting market in India is worth $150 billion (Rs 9.9 lakh crore) a year. That includes $200 million bet on every one-day international played by the Indian cricket team.”
Benefits to legalization include:
- Better player protection. Responsible gambling tools and Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols help protect players against the pitfalls of money laundering and identity fraud.
- Underage gambling prevention. A universal regulatory body could implement processes that can verify age and identity in a matter of hours.
- Currently, India is missing out on vast taxable revenue from illicit gambling operations. Applying tariffs to legal and licensed operators would benefit national and local economies and provide a boon to the jobs sector.
The aforementioned ENV Media study concludes: “The goal of growing yet unregulated markets should be to achieve high consumer and public interest protection levels through modern legislation. Local jurisdiction licensing and legal channeling has proven as the most efficient means of achieving such ambitious long-term benefits.”
Disclaimer: Gambling involves an element of financial risk and may be addictive. Please play responsibly and at your own risk. This post contains material that may or may not be legal in your country. Please play/not play subject to applicable law.
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