By Chinedu Adonu
The Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has announced plans to regulate the gaming and lottery sector with the aim of curbing fraudulent practices and enhancing public trust.
This initiative was highlighted by the Executive Secretary of the Enugu State Gaming and Lottery Commission, Arinze Arum, during a one day stakeholder engagement forum titled “Building a Sustainable Gaming Environment in Enugu State,” held at the state Secretariat’s auditorium in GRA, Enugu.
During the forum, Arum emphasized the commission’s commitment to creating a sustainable ecosystem for legitimate gaming operations.
He stated that the commission has a “zero tolerance” policy for illegal operators and is employing advanced technologies and processes to enhance oversight and bring values to the sector.
“The state government is putting place cutting edge technology in its management, enforcement and monitoring of all activities within the gaming and lottery space in the state; thus, promoting transparency, quicken process and ensure recognizable uniformity.
“We will decentralise operations to serve gaming stakeholders locally, offices to provide support for license registration, complaints and compliance, enhance accessibility to ESGC services across Enugu State.
“There will be a permanent structure for gaming and lottery outlet, we will introduce zero-tolerance policy for makeshift or umbrella gaming stands, all gaming activities must now operate from physical booths or shops to encourage professionalism and enhance public trust,” he said.
In an address, Mr Udukheli Izebuno, said that continued engagement of the commission with stakeholders would bring about inclusive and faster growth of the industry.
Izebuno, a chief executive of a gaming technology company, said that the embracing of technological innovation by the commission as well as gaming and lottery companies would aid the industry development and meet up best international practices.
“What we are doing is to ensure that there is a balance between the commission, gaming/lottery companies and the individual players by using technology as a connecting factor to make things seamless, fast and unified for all,” he said.
Earlier, the Stakeholders in the industry unanimously urged the Enugu State Government to facilitate regulation of the industry to boost confidence and check activities of quacks.
They insisted that all stakeholders must enshrine best international practices to allow the multi-billion naira industry to flourish, boost the overall economy of the state and provide employment for teeming numbers of youths.
Mr Arinze Okeani, representative of BetKing Lotto, commended the state government for reinvigorating the Enugu State Gaming and Lottery Commission, adding that more should be done to regulate and ensure that shylocks do not take advantage of the industry.
Okeani called on the commission to fashion out unbeatable modalities to harmonise operation, identity and procedure of gaming to ensure that quack can easily be fished out and prosecuted to act as deterrent to others.