SHILLONG:
Chief Minister. Conrad K Sangma. on September 26, reiterated that the question of repealing the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 does not arise at all.
Addressing media persons, Sangma said the Act was brought in precisely because there are gaming parlours that were functioning till today without licenses such as jackpot parlours and other gaming that are going on. These need to be regulated whether new ones are started or not.
He said with these regulations that are coming in, it actually prohibits locals from playing.
“So it is precisely achieving the objective which everybody wants — that local youth should not be allowed to play hence the question of repealing does not arise because this is an Act which is required to regulate the existing games and also regulate the people who are playing in these different areas,” Sangma said.
“The question comes about starting new areas of gaming which we have clearly mentioned that government is not going to go ahead with any of that and only after deep consultation with all stakeholders will we decide on the way forward,” he added.
The chief minister further reminded that the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 was also passed by all 60 legislators.
“It is an Act and obviously all the MLAs and the ruling side and everybody was part of this,” he said.