Meghalaya Cabinet Approves Repealing of Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act 2021, Govt to Table Amendment Bill in Upcoming Assembly Session 

Two days after Conrad K Sangma took oath as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya for a second term, one of his first orders of duties was to announce his government’s decision to table an amendment bill to repeal the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act (MRGA) 2021 – legislation that legalized regulated gaming and casinos in select locations in the state.

In its first cabinet meeting on Thursday, the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA 2.0) unanimously agreed to repeal the Act. The government is planning to table an amendment bill to repeal the MRGA in the upcoming assembly budget session that begins on March 20.

After the cabinet meeting, CM Conrad Sangma told reporters – “As you are aware, we had passed an ordinance to repeal the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021. Today as the session is on, we are going to put it in the form of a Bill (so that) the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act will be repealed.”

Sangma tweeted an update on the meeting.

First meeting of the MDA 2.0 Cabinet was held today to discuss & give its approval to the following items—

1. The introduction of the Contingency Fund of the Meghalaya (Amendment) Bill 2023 in the upcoming session of the State Assembly pic.twitter.com/PAWpQoSL9l

— Conrad K Sangma (@SangmaConrad) March 9, 2023

2. The Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act 2021, that was repealed by an Ordinance approved by Cabinet last year will now be introduced as a Bill in the Assembly session for regularisation of the Ordinance which repealed the 2021 Act.

— Conrad K Sangma (@SangmaConrad) March 9, 2023

The Meghalaya government officially struck down the MRGA on November 9, 2022, by passing an ordinance. The government’s plans seem to be right on the course since the ordinance must be approved by the state assembly within six months for the ordinance to remain in effect.

In the meeting, Sangma allotted portfolios to the members of his council of ministers, keeping prime portfolios like Home (Political), Finance, etc., with himself.

Another major announcement was that the new state assembly session will be chaired by the new speaker of the assembly, North Tula MLA Thomas A. Further, Sangma, Ampareen Lyngdoh, Paul Lyngdoh, and Marcuise N. Marak were made spokespersons of the cabinet.

A Step Backwards in Regulating Gaming

The Meghalaya government approved the Meghalaya Gaming Act 2021 by introducing an ordinance in January 2021. The government did so to control illegal gambling in the state and increase tourism revenue by setting up casinos in select locations.

The government granted provisional casino licenses to three operators in April 2022, but the move was opposed by several political, social, and church groups. Local groups in the Ri Bhoi district even set up a Joint Action Committee against casinos (JACAC) and started a signature campaign against casinos. Even though Sangma attempted to explain to them that all the provisional licenses would expire on September 30, 2022, and the government would not renew them, protests against the Gaming Regulation Act continued.

In October 2022, Taxation Minister James K Sangma met the church leaders. Following the meeting, he announced it would be in the state’s best interest if the Gaming Act were repealed.

Days later, CM Conrad K Sangma confirmed that his government had decided to repeal the Gaming Act by introducing another ordinance.

However, several factions, like the Voice of the People Party (VPP), opposed the move calling it an “eyewash.” According to VPP vice-president Dr. KH Shen, unless the assembly approved the ordinance repealing the MRGA within six months, the ordinance would lapse, thereby reinstating the MRGA. “This amounts to fooling the people of the state as unless approved by the Assembly within six months, the ordinance would cease to operate thereby, the Gaming Act stand revived and re-operationalized,” he said.

The VPP demanded a special assembly session to approve the ordinance.

Now returning to the CM’s chair for a second inning, CM Conrad K Sangma has clearly made repealing the Gaming Regulation one of his top priorities, with plans to table an amendment before the budget assembly as soon as the session begins.