Feature
Sourav non-committal on CAB presidency
Kolkata: Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) joint secretary and former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday called on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee amidst speculation that he is a top contender to be Jagmohan Dalmiya’s replacement as president of the cash-rich CAB.
The former India captain, who arrived at the state secretariat ‘Nabanna’ with Dalmiya’s son Avishek, was closeted with Banerjee for long. Emerging from the parleys, he refused to comment on the speculation but did not quash it too.
“It is very early to comment on this, to discuss something regarding this just days after his death is not right. There will be a lot of speculations, but someone has to run the CAB,” Ganguly told mediapersons here.
Speaking about Dalmiya’s demise, Ganguly said,”He was very dear to me. From childhood I’ve grown up before him. He was a very special person to me, I’ve lost somebody very important.”
Avishek said he had come to invite Banerjee to Dalmiya’s shraddh (ritual for the dead) which will be held on October 2.
“My father’s shraddh will be held on October 2, I came here to invite our chief minister who was constantly by our side even when he (Dalmiya) left us.”
Considering the presence of several bigwigs of the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress in the CAB affiliate units, Banerjee’s support could be crucial for anyone eyeing the prized post.
Ganguly has the best of personal equations with Banerjee, who recently announced that he (Sourav) would host a business reality show ideated by her to showcase entrepreneurial talent in the state.
However, it was unclear whether Ganguly had discussed the issue of the CAB presidency with the chief minister.
After the death of Dalmiya — a cricket administrator of great stature — Ganguly is the most widely known cricket personality holding a post in the CAB currently.
But his commitments to television commentary and television shows and relative inexperience in matters regarding cricket administration could tilt the scales against him in the race for the top slot.
CAB trustee board chairman and former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) joint secretary Goutam Dasgupta’s name is also being bandied about as a possible candidate for the post.
Dasgupta is learnt to have told his close associates that he is not averse to taking over the job if the majority of the 121 CAB affiliates want him.
Former BCCI vice-president Chitrak Mitra, and former CAB joint secretary Bablu Koley’s names are also doing the rounds.
However, if Ganguly throws his hat into the ring, the triumvirate of Dasgupta-Kolay-Mitra may decide to lend their support to him, if only to checkmate their bête-noire, current CAB treasurer Biswaroop Dey, who has a lot of clout among the district units.
Dey, if CAB circles are to be believed, is also trying to consolidate his position to jump into the fray if he finds the situation favourable.
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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