Feature
Vote for BJP not for “back stabbers”: Narendra Modi
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today stated that people of Delhi should vote for Bharatiya Janta Party to give them full majority not the party who “back-stabbed” them.
Without naming the Aam Aadmi Party, Modi said: “People can make a mistake once, but not again and again. One year back, Delhi people had voted with dreams.
“Last year, those whom you people voted, back-stabbed you and shattered your dreams,” the prime minister said at a rally in east Delhi’s Karkardooma area.
“Delhi won’t vote for betrayers,” he added.
AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal had formed the government in Delhi after the December 2013 assembly polls. He resigned as chief minister over the Lokpal bill after 49 days in power.
Modi, who shared the stage with Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah and the party’s chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi, asked the people of Delhi to vote for a BJP government as it can work in tandem with the centre.
“Elect a government with whom I can work shoulder to shoulder towards making a positive difference in your lives.”
The prime minister said the BJP had emerged as the largest party in the Delhi assembly last time. “Give us full majority this time,” he said.
Modi said the entire world was watching the Delhi polls.
“If India needs to be introduced to the world, then Delhi is the best place to showcase. All events in the capital have an imprint on not only the country but the entire world. It represents India,” he said.
The prime minister said that with US President Barack Obama’s visit to India, the country’s image has been enhanced the world over.
He said he has worked against corruption, but added: “I don’t publicise that”.
“I have come to Delhi as you have called me. If you had not given me seven MPs, then I would not have been able to come to Delhi. Thus I have come at your bidding,” he said.
The prime minister said Delhi has been in a mess for the last 15 years.
“I have come to take Delhi out of all the mess. I am not satisfied that you give me space to sit in the South Block. I want to serve each and every nook and corner of Delhi.”
Modi said Bedi was the right person for the capital’s top job.
“Delhi needs a stable government. Kiran ji knows Delhi well. She has administrative experience. She will take Delhi to new heights.”
He said the BJP will make India slum-free by 2022 and promised concrete houses for slum dwellers within the city precincts.
Entertainment
Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists
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.