Legalised Gambling now in Meghalaya for Tourists, Says Sangma

Saturday, April 23, 2022

To the indigenous lottery game of Meghalaya known as ‘teer’ or betting on the number of arrows hitting a target of straw is all geared up to add globalised forms of legalised gambling.

James P.K. Sangma, the State Law and Taxation Minister, explained that Meghalaya, a well-known tourist destination in India has plans to generate adequate revenue from legalised gambling, online betting and gaming.

“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licences to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” he told journalists in State capital Shillong on Thursday.

He said that legalised gambling would help in generating employment opportunities at the same time boost tourism.
“But the legalised gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” Mr. Sangma added.
For work or business, tourists would be allowed to take part in such gambling activities only after they produce documents similar to what banks need for KYC.

In February 2021, the process for legalised gambling had started leading to the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970, successfully turning gambling into legal within the State.

In the northeast after Sikkim and Nagaland, Meghalaya will be the third State to make gambling and online gaming legal in India.

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