By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Nigeria Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) has said it deeply regrets any misconceptions the unfortunate publication by the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) labelling some industry players as “unlicensed gaming companies in the state”, may have caused the national gaming licencees operating within the ambit of the law in Nigeria.
This is even as the Commission has again advised the public to obtain the authentic list of licenced gaming and betting companies operating in Nigeria from its website.
The Commission is making the clarification following the recent publications by Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) with the caption “Public Notice on Unlicensed Gaming Companies in Lagos State” which is targeted at gaming companies licensed to operate in Nigeria by NLRC.
However, the country’s lottery regulatory body has in press statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday cautioned the local arm in Lagos state to trade softly as the companies lablled “unlicensed” have actually registered with NLRC.
The statement read in parts: “The attention of the Management of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) has been drawn to the publication on various media platforms purportedly to have emanated from Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) with the caption “Public Notice on Unlicensed Gaming Companies in Lagos State”.
“This publication has created confusion in the Nigeria gaming industry and the Commission has been inundated with requests on the Status of the operators tagged ‘unlicenced and illegal’’.
“It is therefore necessary for NLRC as the Agency created by law to regulate Loterry and Gaming in Nigeria to make clarification”.
“The following gaming operators listed as “unlicenced and illegal” in the publication are duly licenced to conduct lottery and sports betting business in Nigeria:
ZEBET, BETIKA, GOBET, MSPORT, AFRIBET, BANGBET, BETWAZOBIA, KORETBET, PARIPESA, LIVESCOREBET, BLACKBET/BETTY BINGO, CLOUDBET, HALLABET, N1BET, KONFAMBET, SCRATCH2WIN, NAIJABET, LOTTOMANIA AND MILLIONAIRE POWERPLAY”.
“The comprehensive list of national gaming operators in Nigeria is available on the NLRC website: https://nlrc-gov.ng/list-of-approved-gaming-operators/.”
“NLRC deeply regrets any misconceptions the unfortunate publication may have caused the national gaming so licencees operating within the ambit of the law in Nigeria”.
