ABUJA– THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT has threatened to use every legal tool at its disposal to rid the Nigerian gaming industry of all criminal elements.
Following the discovery of a forged Sports Betting Permit by some criminal elements operating in Lagos State, the Director-General of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Mr. Lane Gbajabiamila, issued a warning.
Mr. Magnus Ekechukwu, the NLRC’s Head of Public Affairs, said in a statement in Abuja that the Director-General stated that the criminals have been arrested and are being prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others who may harbor similar thoughts.
“It is quite appalling to discover that people could want to defraud the Federal Government believing they would not be arrested at this time and age,” he says. All criminals should stay away from the lottery industry, because I can assure them that they will be apprehended and prosecuted.
“The criminals who have already been apprehended will serve as a deterrent to others who want to defraud the government.” Such criminality will not be tolerated or allowed in our industry.”
The Director General went on to say that the Commission represents integrity, transparency, and accountability, all of which are hallmarks of the Nigerian gaming industry.
He emphasized that any operator who fails to adhere to these core values risks breaking the Commission’s rules and guidelines, which could result in severe penalties.
Gbajabiamila urged Commission staff, licensed operators, and the general public to be more vigilant in their efforts to catch illegal operators who are out there trying to sabotage the Commission’s efforts to build a strong Nigerian gaming industry, while also encouraging licensed operators to always follow the rules.
