The Oyo State Gaming Board has disclosed its intention to begin strict enforcement of a ban on companies that engage in unregistered promotional lotteries in the state, warning residents to beware of organisations that engage in such, and offer unrealistic gifts to customers, as the festive season approaches.
The Director-General, Oyo State Gaming Board, Mr. Olajide Boladuro, made the disclosure, in Ibadan, on Sunday, during a media briefing heralding the annual Interactive Stakeholders Forum of the Board, focused on Responsible Gaming.
Boladuro noted that the trend of unregistered promotional lotteries had been on the rise lately in the state due to the approaching end of year festivities, saying the Board had made its investigation and written to companies that engage in promotional lotteries to desist from such but had not got an encouraging response.
He said: “I want to use this press conference again to communicate to them because the next thing that will precede the letters and appeals to all these companies will be strict enforcement. We are going to lock up their gates. You cannot be bigger than the government. This is in our law. If you look at the Oyo State Gaming Law 2018, promotional lottery is embedded in our laws.”
The DG revealed that banks and telecoms operators that make announcements about promotional lotteries to their customers are supposed to register with the Oyo State Gaming Board with a fee in order to legalise their activities, saying plans would be put in place, after the stakeholders’ forum, to engage companies that have not complied with the warnings of the Board to do so, according to the law of the state.
He explained that the Oyo State Gaming Board is a gaming regulatory agency of the Oyo State Government vested with the powers and functions of regulating betting/gaming operations through registration and issuance of licences/permits, monitoring, inspection of gaming activities and protecting the interest of all stakeholders in the gaming industry in the state.
The DG stated: “The Board regulates all categories of gaming operations such as Lotto/Lotteries, Pools Betting, Sports Betting (online and offline), casinos, telephone/scratch cards/interactive games, virtual gaming, promotional competition, arcades/gaming machines and any other type of gaming operation in the state.”
As part of building synergy with stakeholders while working with the realities of the gaming market in the state, Boladuro hinted that the Board initiated a stakeholders’ interactive forum to inform and engage stakeholders, including the registered and prospective gaming operators, financial service providers, related agencies and ministries, the media and members of the public, on the present business clime.
On registration, the DG said over 70 percent of gaming agents in the state had been duly registered and had obtained their permit from the Board, saying the Board had sanctioned illegal gaming operators, ensured 75 percent effective enforcement exercise on erring operators/agents, secured 90 percent compliance on gaming regulations and completion of the documentation process and prompt payment of monthly taxes and other statutory levies, among other achievements.
Boladuro reiterated that the Board had been working at ensuring responsible betting devoid of addiction and carrying out surveillance and due diligence on underage persons (below 18) found within betting shops/kiosks.
The 2-day Interactive Stakeholders Forum billed to commence with a roadshow on Tuesday, would continue on Wednesday, with two-panel discussion sessions and a dinner/award night, to give recognition and commendations to deserving operators and other stakeholders in the sector.
Nnenna.O
