Feature
Tamil and Bollywood film industry mourns J. Jayalalithaa’s death
New Delhi: The Tamil filmdom paid rich tributes to veteran movie star turned politician J. Jayalalithaa, who passed away here on Monday at the age of 68, with superstar Rajinikanth describing her as a brave daughter. “Not just Tamil Nadu but the whole of India lost a brave daughter. May her soul rest in peace,” Rajinikanth tweeted.
Actor Ajith Kumar, who is currently shooting for his upcoming yet-untitled Tamil film in Bulgaria, said the news came to him as a “shock”. In a statement, he said, “She had fought many battles and stood tall among the leaders of our times. I pray to the almighty to give us the strength during this time of grief.” Recalling her meeting with Jayalalithaa, Trisha wrote on Twitter: “RIP my most favourite person. The throne awaits you on the other side. Truly proud and honoured to have met you.”
Describing Jayalalithaa as one of the bravest women, Shruti Haasan wrote, “TN loses one of its greatest leaders and bravest women. Deeply saddened by this great loss. Words cannot express.” Calling her a “fighter”, actress Radikaa Sarath Kumar said the passing away of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has left a void in her.
“A people’s person, strong-spirited, classy and a fighter to the end. Leaves a vacuum in people’s heart, but leaves a piece of her in everyone who met her. You inspire all,” Radikaa tweeted. Among others who condoled the death of Jayalalithaa, once a reigning queen of Tamil cinema, include Gautham Vasudev Menon, R. Parthepan, R. Madhavan, Nakul and Jayam Ravi.
Bollywood celebrities, including megastar Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and A.R. Rahman, paid tributes to veteran movie star-turned-politician J. Jayalalithaa, who died in Chennai on Monday night after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Jayalalithaa died at 11.30 p.m. on Monday, triggering immense grief across the state. She was 68. Here’s what B-Town celebrities said:
Amitabh Bachchan: Deeply grieved at the passing of Jayalalithaa ji… a strong woman…
Shah Rukh Khan: Sad to hear of the passing away of Jayalalithaaji. May her soul rest in peace.
A.R. Rahman: Respect and condolences to the people who love Puratchi Thalaivi Jayalalithaa… We will miss her forever.
Randeep Hooda: An actor who did so many real things that affected so many people. A real woman in the time of feminism… RIP ‘Amma’.
Hema Malini: Tamil Nadu admired and adored her as did people all over India. She was a much respected leader who held her own in a world of men. RIP Jaya!
Prabhudheva: RIP ‘Amma’. You are our inspiration, greatest Chief Minister in many ways. You will always be remembered.
Kunal Kohli: Jayalalithaa, in a man’s world she was a woman of substance. Tougher than a man. Kind like an ‘Amma’. No family yet Amma to millions.
Kailash Kher: Jayalalithaa still lives in millions of hearts. A politician with the soul of an artiste. May your soul rest in peace.
The State Scores Extra High on Gaming-Friendly Industry Index
Meghalaya scored 92.85 out of 100 possible points in a Gaming Industry Index and proved to be India’s most gaming-friendly state following its recent profound legislation changes over the field allowing land-based and online gaming, including games of chance, under a licensing regime.
The index by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure the level of legalisation on gambling and betting achieved by a state based on the scores over a set of seven different games – lottery, horse racing, betting on sports, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports
Starting from February last year, Meghalaya became the third state in India’s northeast to legalise gambling and betting after Sikkim and Nagaland. After consultations with the UKIBC, the state proceeded with the adoption of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 and the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970. Subsequently in December, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021 were notified and came into force.
All for the Tourists
The move to legalise and license various forms of offline and online betting and gambling in Meghalaya is aimed at boosting tourism and creating jobs, and altogether raising taxation revenues for the northeastern state. At the same time, the opportunities to bet and gamble legally will be reserved only for tourists and visitors.
“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licenses to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” said James P. K. Sangma, Meghalaya State Law and Taxation Minister speaking in the capital city of Shillong. “But the legalized gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” he continued.
To be allowed to play, tourists and people visiting the state for work or business purposes will have to prove their non-resident status by presenting appropriate documents, in a process similar to a bank KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.
Meghalaya Reaches Out to a Vast Market
With 140 millions of people in India estimated to bet regularly on sports, and a total of 370 million desi bettors around prominent sporting events, as per data from one of the latest reports by Esse N Videri, Meghalaya is set to reach out and take a piece of a vast market.
Estimates on the financial value of India’s sports betting market, combined across all types of offline channels and online sports and cricket predictions and betting platforms, speak about amounts between $130 and $150 billion (roughly between ₹9.7 and ₹11.5 lakh crore).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi are shown to deliver the highest number of bettors and Meghalaya can count on substantial tourists flow from their betting circles. The sports betting communities of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also not to be underestimated.
Among the sports, cricket is most popular, registering 68 percent of the total bet count analyzed by Esse N Videri. Football takes second position with 11 percent of the bets, followed by betting on FIFA at 7 percent and on eCricket at 5 percent. The last position in the Top 5 of popular sports for betting in India is taken by tennis with 3 percent of the bet count.
Local Citizens will Still have Their Teer Betting
Meghalaya residents will still be permitted to participate in teer betting over arrow-shooting results. Teer is a traditional method of gambling, somewhat similar to a lottery draw, and held under the rules of the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.
Teer includes bettors wagering on the number of arrows that reach the target which is placed about 50 meters away from a team of 20 archers positioned in a semicircle.
The archers shoot volleys of arrows at the target for ten minutes, and players place their bets choosing a number between 0 and 99 trying to guess the last two digits of the number of arrows that successfully pierce the target.
If, for example, the number of hits is 256, anyone who has bet on 56 wins an amount eight times bigger than their wager.
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