Shillong, Oct 13: After receiving complaints from various social groups, the Minister of Taxation, James K. Sangma, made the decision on Thursday morning to campaign for the repeal of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021.

Minister in-charge of Taxation, James K Sangma said, “…. it became clear to me that it is in the best interest of our state to completely scrap the Act, given that there could be untoward implications. Therefore, it will be my earnest endeavour to see that the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021, will be repealed”.

In a social media post, Sangma stated that the major goal of the Gaming Act of 2021’s introduction in 2021 is to increase tourism, revenue generation, and employment for the people of our State. Additionally, the establishment of “Casinos” is only intended for visitors.

According to Sangma, several members of the society have expressed reservations about the Act’s reach and effects. In several meetings with stakeholders, including religious organisations, non-governmental organisations, civil society representations, Dorbar Shnongs, autonomous and local governance bodies, and youth organisations, the minister has attempted to understand the concerns of the general population.

Notably, the state government recently granted three businesses provisional licences to build casinos in an effort to increase tourism and revenue. The Church and other social groups opposed the idea, arguing that “legalising gambling” would have a negative moral impact on society. The Meghalaya administration has decided to abandon its intentions to establish casinos in the state in response to vehement opposition from the Church and social organisations.