The Oyo State Government has restated the need for responsible gaming and warned citizens about the risks involved in irresponsible gambling.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG) of Oyo State, Prof. Olanike Adeyemo, gave the warning at the 5th Annual Stakeholders’ Interactive Forum of the Oyo State Gaming and Lottery Board, themed “Tax and Task”, held in Ibadan, the state capital.
In her keynote address at the event, Adeyemo cautioned people against irresponsible and addictive gambling, which makes them commit resources meant for living life to gaming, advising that players should use their spare funds for games and be responsible enough to stop, when it is affecting them negatively.
“We have a Gaming and Lottery Board in Oyo State headed by Hon. Olajide Boladuro, who is doing a fantastic job in that domain.
“We look forward to exploring all the opportunities that this industry has to offer Oyo State while at the same time we have a responsible gaming framework in Oyo State to ensure citizens are also protected,” said the secretary to the state government.
In protecting citizens against irresponsible gambling, Adeyemo disclosed that the state had put in place a gaming framework and lottery regulations, stressing that responsible gaming is not just the duty of government but that of all and sundry.
In the same vein, while speaking on the theme of the interactive forum, “Tax and Task”, the Director General, Oyo State Gaming Board, Mr Olajide Boladuro, revealed that as a government agency and regulator of the various operators of the gaming industry, the board had a responsibility to license and tax the operators and also to make sure that things go the way they should.
“It’s not only taxing them for revenue, we are also doing our task as far as making sure they are doing things responsibly.
“We are ensuring that our stakers, our citizens, who are participating in these various gaming aspects are being treated fairly and the operators are being treated fairly as well so as to ensure a conducive environment for the generality of the gaming populace,” Mr Boladuro said.
The DG further said the state government was worried that people gambled with their life fortunes, children’s tuition fees, and money meant for capital projects.
Boladuro, who stated that the standard practice worldwide should be that people use spare funds to gamble, warned that gambling was addictive, disclosing that the state was keen on reducing the risk of players spending more on gambling activities than they could afford or engaging in high-risk transactions.
“We will not relent as the government agency that we are. The revenue is not the goal for us; we have to regulate the industry.
“There’s a way to create a balance. It’s a win-win situation for both the government and the operators as long as they’re doing the right thing and we’re sensitizing the public with clear information to the addictive nature of gambling,” he added.
Notwithstanding that the Gaming and Lottery Board has a duty to license and tax gamers for revenue, the DG said the state would still continue to tell gamers of the negative consequences of underage, unsafe and irresponsible gaming.
The forum featured presentations on ‘Building Sustainability through Responsible Gaming’, ‘Harnessing Industry Opportunities in Technology for the Gaming Industry’, and ‘Transitioning to iGaming’.
