The National Lottery Regulatory Commission has demanded that Nigerian lottery companies comply more closely with its directives regarding the prompt transfer of funds to the Federal Government.
This was revealed in a statement released on Thursday by NLRC Director-General Mr. Lanre Gbajabiamila, who had recently met in Abuja with the Association of Nigerian Bookmakers.
Gbajabiamila brought up the government’s mounting concerns about non-compliance during the meeting, especially from those in charge of operating unlicensed internet casinos.
According to him: “The Commission will, from now on, sanction operators who fail to remit their dues, change their business addresses without notification, or operate online casinos without the proper licences.”
During the conversation, ANB Chairman Sheriff Olaniyan brought up several concerns, including enforcement activities in places like Ibadan and Lagos as well as difficulties with the NLRC’s Cybersecurity Framework Fees and withholding tax laws.
To promote compliance, he called for “clearer remittance guidelines” and underlined that “98% comply with NLRC regulations.”
Gbajabiamila retorted that the NLRC would not notify parties in advance of implementing regulations.
Furthering, he disclosed, stressing the importance of adherence to permit conditions: “We will not notify you before enforcement. For some time now, we have refrained from major enforcement actions, but now we must act.”
Gbajabiamila reaffirmed that there would be no decreases to the controversial casino licence fees, highlighting the idea that only operators with sufficient financial resources ought to participate in the industry.
While acknowledging the need for a review of quarterly remittances, he suggested possible licence revocations to assess the financial stability of operators. The Federal Government and Lagos State’s continuing jurisdictional issues were also discussed at the meeting, BrandSpur Nigeria news today reports.
Gbajabiamila made it clear that: “all online lottery activities fall under the Federal Government’s purview,” and pledged to find a solution that would benefit all parties involved.
He added: “The bottom line is revenue, and we are ready to share it with states.”
Gbajabiamila pledged to interact with the Presidential Committee on tax laws and other regulatory issues brought up during the meeting, assuring ANB members of the NLRC’s commitment to their support.
