Lottery Commission urges operators to source technical providers in Nigeria

The National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) has called on gaming companies to source their technical service providers in Nigeria in order to encourage home-grown technology.

The Director General of the Commission, Mr Lanre Gbajabiamila, said that this would also help boost the local content policy of the Federal Government.

Spokesman for the Commission, Magnus Ekechukwu, said in a statement on Tuesday that Gbajabiamila made the call when he visited major lottery operators in Lagos to solicit their support for the forthcoming National Gaming Conference.

He said that the two-day conference, scheduled to hold in Lagos between July 28 and July 29, would discuss germane issues concerning the growth of lottery business and chart the way forward for growth and more revenue for government.

Among germane issues to be discussed are those relating to multiple taxation, over-regulation, jurisdictional boundaries, legislative and legal issues, underage gaming and overall strategies to boost the lottery and gaming sector in Nigeria.

Gbajabiamila said that the conference, which would be the first of its kind in the Nigerian lottery and gaming industry, would create the much needed awareness on the mandate of the NLRC.

“The lottery industry is a peculiar one that requires better understanding and cooperation from everyone for it to thrive.

“We need to synergize to ensure we have a growth pattern that will favour everyone.

“NLRC cannot do it alone, everyone have to join us in the effort to reposition the lottery and gaming industry for sustainable growth and development,” the DG stated.

He said that some of the agencies that would participate in the conference include Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Federal Inland Revenue Service, gaming and lottery operators as well as state regulators.

Some of the licensed operators in Lagos visited by the NLRC team included Premier Lotto (Baba Ijebu), Winners Golden Chance, Digi Bay Limited (Betway), KC Gaming limited, (Bet9ja), Naira Bet, Bet King, among others. (NAN)