Feature
Massive turnout in polls a victory for democracy: Modi
Poonch (Jammu and Kashmir): Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said the massive turnout in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections had proved a decisive victory for democracy in the state.
Addressing a BJP election rally in this border town of Jammu region, Modi said the 70 percent-plus voter turnout in the first phase of elections had not only proved the victory of democracy over guns and bullets, but had also opened the eyes of the outside world that had some misgivings and had been misled about the real situation in the state.
“This election will be written as a great election in the country’s electoral history because the people here have shown that democracy has won. The victory of democracy is India’s greatest strength in the world,” Modi said.
He sought a decisive mandate for his party in order to form a strong state government.
“I have come to Jammu and Kashmir for the first time to seek something from you. I am sure the state has given me so much love and I will get what I want from you.
“I do not want a fragmented mandate. When mandates are fragmented, you know the results. You give BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) a decisive mandate and I promise to carry out the type of inclusive development that has not happened here in 50 years,” Modi said in the second of the two election rallies that he addressed in the state.
He attacked the regional National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alleging that the two parties had let loose a rein of loot and plunder in the state.
“If you want to end the tradition of father and son and father and daughter, you must vote for the BJP to unshackle yourselves from exploitation and dynastic rule,” he said.
Modi said every citizen of the country wants to visit Jammu and Kashmir, but for that an environment needed to be created here which his party was committed to do.
With his Poonch rally, the prime minister ended his daylong election campaign in the state where five-phased assembly elections are taking place.
Nine assembly constituencies of the Jammu region in Reasi, Udhampur and Poonch districts vote Dec 2 while nine others vote the same day in Kulgam and Kupwara districts of the Kashmir Valley.
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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