TheNewsGuru

Tag: Lottery

  • Supreme Court to hear lottery regulation case 15 years after

    Supreme Court to hear lottery regulation case 15 years after

    The Supreme Court on Monday fixed March 13, 2024, to hear a suit filed in 2008, by the Attorney General of Lagos State against the Federal Government in respect of who controls and regulates the gaming and lottery sector.

    A seven-man panel justices of the Supreme Court led by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, fixed the date at a resumed sitting on Monday.

    The Attorney General of the Federation is the first defendant while the National Assembly is second defendant, the Attorneys General of 34 other States, were joined as defendants by the Supreme Court on November 15, 2022.

    Meanwhile, the apex court panel unanimously deemed all the processes filed out of time by the defendants as duly and properly filed, having been regularised.

    Ekiti state was joined as co-Plaintiff in the suit following an order of the court made on October 6, 2020.

    The application by the Attorney General of Oyo state to join as co- Plaintiff having been withdrawn, was struck out by panel.

    Bode Olanipekun SAN, announced appearance for Lagos State Government while Adetunji Osho appeared for Ekiti state.

    The Federal Government was represented by Innocent Daa’gba, while Ifeanyi Mrialike represented the National Assembly.

    The Attorneys General of the 33 States were duly represented and announced appearances.

    However, there was no legal representation for Kwara state despite being served with hearing notice.

    The Supreme Court ordered Jigawa and Kaduna State Governments to put their houses in order by resolving the issue of legal representation before the next hearing date.

    Kekere-Ekun  advised that all the state governments that are on one side in accordance with their respective interests should present a common argument in order to save the time of the court on the hearing date.

    Speaking to judiciary correspondents at the Supreme Court,  Innocent Daagba, said he had filed processes and submissions of the Federal Government since 2020, adding that the processes have been regularised by the court, which clears the coast for hearing of the matter.

    Recall that on Aug.15, 2022, the Federal Government (the Nigerian Lottery Regulation commission and the Nigerian Lottery Trust fund) had won the case against Lagos and other States, on the issue of multiple regulation in the gaming sector.

    The Bookmakers association of Nigeria had initiated the lawsuit to determine the legitimate regulators of gaming businesses because they complained about paying multiple taxes and licensing fees to States and the Federal Government.

    In the Suit NO: FHC/L/CS/15992020, filed before Hon. Justice I.N Oweibo of the Lagos High Court, the Judge declared that the federal government should be the sole regulator of gaming business in the country as the constitution is clear on the position of lottery in the exclusive list and the National Assembly can legislate on lottery matters.

    Despite the judgement, there is still not an end to the back and forth bickering between the bookmakers and State Governments on multiple taxation and regulation.

    On July 19, 2023, Justice Iniekenimi Oweibo of the Federal High Court (FHC) in Lagos State ruled that the Federal Government, through the National Assembly, had the exclusive right to legislate and control lottery activities in the country.

    Few months after the FHC judgement, a Lagos State High Court delivered another judgement holding that matters pertaining to lottery and one-chance betting were subjects under the residual list in the constitution. By this, the judge held that Lagos State had the right to regulate the sector.

    However, by a further amended originating summons marked SC/1/2008, the Plaintiffs want the apex court to declare “that lottery is not one of the 68 items in respect of which the National Assembly has the Exclusive vires to make laws under Part 1 of the Second Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

    They are seeking a declaration that having regard to the clear provisions of Section 4(2) and (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the National Assembly lacks the vires to legally and constitutionally make any Law to regulate and control the operation of lottery in Nigeria.

    “A declaration that having regard to the clear provision of Section 4(4)(a), (b) and Part ll of the Second Schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), matters relating to lottery do not fall within items which the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly are concurrently empowered to make Laws with regard thereto.

    “A declaration that having regard to the clear provisions of Section 4(7)(a) and (c) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Lagos State Government, vide the Lagos State House of Assembly has the power to the exclusion of the National Assembly, to make Laws to regulate and control the operation of lottery within Lagos State.

    More so, the Plaintiffs are praying for, “A declaration that having regard to the clear provisions of Sections 4(4)(b), (7)(a) and 299(a) of the Constitution as amended, the power of the National Assembly to make Laws to regulate and control the operation of lottery is limited by the 1999 Constitution to only the Federal Capital Territory.

    “A declaration that Sections 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of the National Lottery Act CAP N145, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, made by the National Assembly are inconsistent with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

    Further more, they want “A declaration that the National Lottery Act CAP N145, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria is inconsistent with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

    In addition, the Plaintiffs want “An order nullifying Sections 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of the National Lottery Act CAP N145, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria as well as an order nullifying the entirety of the National Lottery Act CAP N145, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

    Also, they are praying for “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st Defendant either by himself, agents privies, agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria or Federation of Nigeria through anybody acting on their behalf from implementing the provisions of Sections 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of the National Lottery Act CAP N145, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, within the territory, of Lagos State.

    “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the 1st Defendant either by himself, agents, privies, agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria or Federation of Nigema, or through anybody acting on their behalf from taking any step or action aimed at enforcing or continuing to enforce any/or all of the provisions of the National Lottery Act CAP N145, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, within the territory of Lagos State.

    “An order  for the 1st Defendant to give account of all revenues earned by the Federation of Nigeria, with respect to implementation of the National Lottery Act CAP N145, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, within Lagos State and pay same over to the Plaintiff.

  • FG tightens grip against lottery, gaming platforms

    FG tightens grip against lottery, gaming platforms

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC).

    The NCC said this was with provisions to deter unapproved lottery and gaming practices on telecommunications platforms through information and intelligence sharing.

    NCC’s Director Public Affairs, Dr Reuben Muoka, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta said that the MoU, which would impact the gaming industry, was in synchronisation with the Commission’s Strategic Vision Plan (SVP).

    Danbatta said it was in a bid to promote fair practices in the industry for the protection of telecommunication consumers in relation to lottery and gaming activities.

    He said the collaboration was in line with the provisions of Commission’s SVP, 2021-2025, which would provide for facilitation of strategic partnership and collaboration with other bodies to enhance service delivery.

    “The initial MoU expired in 2022, amendments and modifications have been made since no MoU is cast in stone, especially given the industry’s dynamic nature,” he said.

    The Director-General of NLRC, Mr Lanre Gbajabiamila, expressed optimism that the MoU would yield favourable outcomes in curbing illegal online gambling.

    Gbajabiamila was also optimistic that NCC and NLRC would achieve their intentions in the interest of gaming stakeholders.

    He decried how unapproved lottery, gaming activities and practices undermine the integrity of domestic and global gaming markets to the detriment of the stakeholders.

    The D-G said this was in addition to undermining consumer confidence in the markets, hence the collaboration with the Commission to arrest such tendencies.

    Earlier in his opening remarks, the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Mr Adeleke Adewolu said that the MoU was designed to address recent technology information-sharing capabilities, consumer satisfaction.

    Adewolu said that it was also to enhance areas of co-regulation in line with the digital economy mandate.

    He said: “The new MoU replaces the one that was first signed by both organizations, which expired in 2022.

    “It provides complementary approaches to deter unapproved lottery practices on telecommunications platforms through information and intelligence sharing.

    “This is in recognition of how unapproved lottery and gaming activities and practices undermine the integrity of domestic and global gaming markets to the detriment of stakeholders in addition to undermining consumer confidence in these markets.

    “Under the agreement, following requests from NLRC, NCC shall endeavour to block or disable illegal lottery gaming operators on the telecommunications service providers’ platform in Nigeria and NLRC

    “The document is developed by a Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) comprising representatives of NCC and NLRC to implement the MoU and other matters that promote collaboration between both organisations in their regulatory functions.”

  • Police arrest alleged murderer of Lagos lottery manager

    Police arrest alleged murderer of Lagos lottery manager

    A 35-year-old man, Kamalideen Raji, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police over the murder of a lottery manager in the Badagry area of the state.

     

    Confirming the arrest, the Lagos State Police Command said it arrested Raji on August 2, 2022, for stabbing the manager twice in the neck over a disagreement about an unpaid debt.

     

    The victim was rushed to the Badagry General Hospital, where he gave up the ghost.

     

    The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the suspect was arrested by the Area K Police Command.

     

    “The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alabi, has directed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, for further investigations and prosecution,” he added.

     

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Lagos Police Command is the Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Police Force and is responsible for law enforcement and crime prevention in the state.

     

    It would be recalled that earlier the Lagos Police Command arrested no fewer than 300 suspected criminals for various crimes ranging from armed robbery, rape, defilement and cultism in the month of July.

     

    This was contained in a statement posted on Friday on the official Twitter handle of the Lagos State Government signed by the Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alabi.

     

    In the monthly Police Activity Report for July 2022, Alabi said that out of the 300 suspects that were arrested, 244 persons had been charged to court for prosecution.

     

    He disclosed that the Police foiled several armed robbery/cultists incidents and recovered 10 arms while 208 vehicles and 522 motorcycles were impounded for contravening traffic laws across the Lagos metropolis.

     

    “It also revealed that some hoodlums suspected to be armed robbers were arrested on Badagry Expressway based on intelligence gathering, leading to the mobilisation of a team of policemen to dislodge criminals at the location.

     

    “A total of 11 suspects were apprehended and have made useful statements to the Police during investigation.

     

    “Several suspected armed robbers were also arrested at different times within the month at Agege, Ilupeju, Orile Iganmu and Lekki/Epe Expressway.

     

    “Two locally-made pistols, two unexpended cartridges, Bajaj tricycle, operational vehicles and some charms were recovered from the suspects.

     

    He said that the Police clamped down on the activities of cultists as Ketu, Ikorodu and Ilupeju among others and one Friday Nwife.

     

    “Nwife was arrested and taken into custody for allegedly stabbing a 25-year-old at Kogberegbe Street, Isolo, to death during an altercation.”

     

    “A seven-year-old girl was allegedly defiled by one Greatness Eruoluwabami, on July 4, 2022, at Selewu Street, Igbogbo.

     

    “The police team dispatched to the scene arrested the suspect and took the victim to Ita-Elewa Healthcare Centre for medical examination and treatment.” Alabi said.

  • CSO alleges massive fraud in National Lottery Commission

    CSO alleges massive fraud in National Lottery Commission

    …petitions EFCC, Special Duties Minister

    …over 100 official bank transactions done with staff personal accounts

    …calls for DG’s suspension

    A civil rights organisation, the Network for Best Practice and Integrity in Leadership (NEBPRIL) has raised alarm over what it describes as the sordid developments bothering on official malfeasance at the National Lottery Regulatory Commission.

    NEBPRIL said the Commission under the watch of the Director-General, Mr. Lanre Gbajabiamila has seemingly enabled acts that “bother on official deceit, financial fraud, administrative infractions, impunity and other forms of official malfeasance, that run contrary to the civil/public service rules, Procurement Act as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Act.”

    In a statement by its Chairman, Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, in Abuja, on Monday, August 9, 2021, the organisation whose main objectives are transparency, integrity and democratic accountability in public service, disclosed that it has petitioned both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the supervisory ministry to the regulatory commission, Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Relations, to investigate the allegations of financial fraud in the Commission.

    Ogene, who is also a former member of the House of Representatives disclosed that NEBPRIL on April 6, 2021, wrote a letter to the Director-General, Mr. Gbajabiamila, which was received and acknowledged by his office on April 7.

    The letter, he said “sought clarifications on about 143 bank transactions that were made using the bank accounts of about 20 specific staff members at different times. It should be noted, and curiously too, those 20 staffers are mostly from the Finance & Accounts, Internal Audit departments and the office of the Director-General.”

    He said that NEBPRIL had sought the information, as a responsible organisation “with strong advocacy for best practice, integrity in leadership and fairness to all parties, but sadly, till date no official explanation has been received from the Commission in response to our letter.”

    Ogene further disclosed that on April 13, 2021, a certain aide of the DG, “Dr. Musa Mohammed Bagana, who introduced himself as the Media Adviser to the DG, visited our office, on the directive of his boss. While he didn’t present any official position of the Commission, he made verbal acknowledgement of the authenticity of some of the allegations of financial infractions, which he, however, suggested were perpetrated among other things, to provide funds to patronize the National Assembly Committees that oversee the activities of the Commission.”

    This unwitting disclosure necessitated further probe into the financial records of the NLRC, and our findings were sordid.

    The petitions dated August 6, 2021, read in parts: “financial transactions in the Commission involving multiple staffers of the agency evidentially suggest a disturbing collusion of the Director-General of the commission with some Accounts and Audit staff, to enable brazen, unethical activities that amounts to financial fraud.

    “A close study of a few of the Finance and Audit documents of the Commission, revealed multiple, systemic official financial fraud, financial infractions, official impunity and less that transparent internal financial governance structure in NLRC, under Mr. Gbajabiamila.”

    The petition listed some of the fraud allegations thus: “It is evident based on the documents at our disposal, that some members of staff of the Commission, especially in the Finance & Accounts and also Audit departments, have made themselves willing members of the financial fraud syndicate in the commission.

    “Evidently, between March and December 2019, about N348,200, 950 was diverted through the use of the bank accounts of 20 staffers, in a total of 143 transactions.

    *In March 2019, the sum of N26,024,000 was fraudulently mopped-up in 11 transactions, via bank accounts of nine members of staff.

    *In April 2019, N27,140,000 in 12 transactions by nine staff accounts

    *In May 2019, N9, 483,000 in 5 transactions through four staff accounts

    *In June 2019, N23, 414,400, was mopped-up via nine members of staff accounts in 10 transactions.

    *In July 2019, a total of N61,130,350 was mopped-up in 27 different translations through the bank accounts of 10 staff.

    *In August 2019, N17,786,800 was mopped-up in eight transactions through the accounts of six staff.

    *In September 2019, N56,466,200 was mopped-up in 24 transactions, using the accounts of 16 staff.

    *In October 2019, N21,276,200 was mopped-up in 10 transactions via nine staff accounts.

    *In November 2019, N39,650,200 was mopped-up in 18 transactions, using the accounts of 12 staff.

    *In December 2019, N65,829,600 was mopped-up in 29 transactions, using the accounts of 14 staff.

    “In 2020 financial year, a total sum of N42,650,400 was mopped-up in 18 transactions using the accounts of nine staff.”

    The petition also listed the names of the alleged perpetrators and the roles they played as follows: “For instance , Oviawe Edwin of Finance & Accounts department (Other Charges), was involved in 25 different transactions where a total sum of N58,891,800 was mopped-up through his account.

    *Tunde Ezomon, also of Finance & Accounts (CPO), was involved in 16 different translations and a total sum of N37,355,800 was mopped-up through his account.

    *Adesina Ekundayo of Internal Audit was involved in eight different translations, where N19,026,800 was mopped-up through his account.

    *Gelengu Jibrin, another staff in Internal Audit department, was involved in four transactions and a total sum of N9,777, 400 was mopped-up through his account.

    *Bamodeoku Oyebode, a Personal Assistant to the DG was involved in four transactions and N8,557,000 was mopped-up through his account.

    *Other accomplices whose bank accounts were used in these Illicit transactions include: Oluwatosin Osanyinbola, Momohjimoh Abdulmutalib ( F& A and DFA’s Office assistant) Hassan Audu, Musandah Godwin, Funmilola Akinlami (F&A and DFA’s secretary), Deborah Uziagbe, Nneoma Vivian Chinonyerem , Ukah Solomon, Oladipo Odion Joyce, Akanmode Peter Femi, Ewuje Joy Akinwalere Seunfunmi, Ene Dominic Marcellina and Ayeni Adebukola.

    “Also contravention of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 and Section 2906 and 2916 of the Financial Regulations and other key extant rules in awarding multiple million naira contracts above the DG’s approval limit.

    “For instance, on October 23, 2019, the sums of N15,000,000 and N17,000,000 were disbursed for the same purpose on the same day to Kabir Abdullahi, a pool staff redeployed from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, to head the checking unit of the Finance & Accounts department of NLRC.

    “The same amount was disbursed to him the following day, for the same purpose (payment for computer consumables), totaling N64,000,000 in two days!

    “In December 2020, sundry other questionable payments above the DG’s approval limits were also made, in breach of extant financial and civil service laws.”

    According to the petition, every mechanism of checks and balances put in place by government by way of creating various units in the Finance and Account department of the Commission to check and double check every transaction from approval to payment levels, have been fraudulently by-passed, owing to the fact that all those put in place to carry out these functions are the very ones committing the fraudulent acts.

    NEBPRIL therefore implored the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa to use his good offices to investigate these allegations and bring the culprits to book, adding that “such action being in tandem with the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration’s anti corruption stance, would also help reconcile the faith of the ordinary Nigerian to the often stated position that under your headship of the EFCC, there will be no sacred cows – especially against the backdrop of the privileged standing of the DG, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Lanre Gbajabiamila, as a younger sibling of Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker, House of Representatives, and Nigeria’s No.4 citizen.”

    Hon. Victor Afam Ogene

    Chairman, Network for Best Practice and Integrity in Leadership (NEBPRIL) .

  • Lagos Assembly passes Lottery, Gaming Authority Bill

    Lagos Assembly passes Lottery, Gaming Authority Bill

    The Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill for the establishment of Lagos State Lottery And Gaming Authority.

    The assembly passed the bill through a voice vote after its third reading.

    The Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, explained that the passage of the bill had harmonised all other laws relating to gaming and lottery activities in the state.

    Obasa said that the bill would further regulate gaming and lottery activities in the state.

    The speaker also said an ad hoc committee had been constituted to organise a public hearing on land grabbing in the state.

    Obasa noted that the committee would report back to the House in three weeks time.

    He said that the House Majority Leader, Mr Sanai Agunbiade (Ikorodu 1), was the Chairman of the committee.

    “Other members of the committee are the Deputy Majority Leader, Noheem Adams (Eti-Osa 1), Mrs Mosunmola Sangodara (Surulere 2), and Mr Abiodun Tobun (Epe 1).

    “Others included Mr Rasheed Makinde (Ifako-Ijaye 1), Mr Nurudeen Akinsanya (Mushin 1), Mr Victor Akande (Ojo1) and Mr Adedamola Kasunmu (Ikeja 1).

  • Lottery, pools, betting operators to pay N20million license fee in Lagos

    Lottery, pools, betting operators to pay N20million license fee in Lagos

    Operators of lottery, pools and betting in Lagos are to pay license fee of N20million when a bill being considered by the state House of Assembly becomes law.

    The bill entitled; “Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority Bill Arrangement of Sections” went through public hearing on Friday 14th August, 2020 at the state House of Assembly.

    According to the bill, “before a license is granted to an operator, the Authority shall be satisfied that the applicant is a registered company in Nigeria with a minimum share capital of N20, 000,000 (Twenty Million Naira) or as may be directed by the Authority.”

    It also specified that the local content shareholder shall abide by the regulations, policies, terms and conditions issued by the Authority.

    It was also revealed at the public hearing that the new bill, when it becomes law, will consolidate all the laws in the sector and repeal existing laws such as the Lagos State Lotteries (Amendment) Law 2008, the Lagos State Lotteries Law (2004), and the Casino and Gaming Regulatory Authority Law (2007).

    Others are Casino and Gaming Regulations (2007), Pools Betting Control Law (2003) and Pools Betting Tax Law (2003).

    The Speaker of the House, Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa said “the world wide gaming is worth $200 Billion. Several Nigerians are involved in games and sports betting.

    “Its addictive nature calls for caution, and it is our view that the 2008 lottery law needs an amendment as the bulk of the game are done on mobile gadgets,” he said.

    The state’s commissioner for Finance, Dr. Rabiu Olowo, said in his comments that a lot has changed in the Nigerian gaming sector in the last 10 years, and that most of the people involved are youths.

    “The future of gaming in Nigeria is bright. The regulations are very robust. The Bill addresses cyber security and addresses the concerns of many people. I want to urge all stakeholders to take it serious,” he said.

    The Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Hon. Rotimi Olowo, said in an interview that the bill was meant to consolidate, gaming and virtual lottery in the state.

    “We have different licenses for individual products in the sector. The people have ventilated their opinions and we will work on them.

    “The law is not meant for the operators alone; it is also meant for the regulators, we will look into all the areas.”

    The lawmaker said that the Bill would help the state to gather enough money that would be used in the health sector, environment and even sports sector.

    Olowo stated further that the money is not coming into the consolidated fund of the state, and that it is meant to take care of the welfare of the citizenry.

    He explained that the state wanted a law that would consolidate all the laws in the sector.

    “The issue of N20 Million would be looked into by the regulators. We would look at the socioeconomic reality and allow sanity into that sector.

    One of the stakeholders at the event, Mr. Adebagun Nojeem from Lagos Pool Promoters requested that the stakeholders in the gaming sector should be involved in the State Lottery Board and that the issue of N20 Million share capital should be looked into.

    “The issue of N20 Million share capital should be looked into. It would have retroactive effect on the companies that have been registered. Pool is a game of the senior citizens. With the new capital base, we may go under.

    “The 10% charges on sales should be reduced to about 2.5%. Penalty of N2.5 Million should be reduced to 1 Million or N500, 000 and the issue of imprisonment should be removed,” he said.

    Also speaking, Mr. Tokunbo Akande from the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) said that licensing fees or royalties should be used in the bill instead of taxes and that there should be rooms for dispute resolutions in the bill.

    On his part, Mr. Niyi Adekunle from Grand Lotto said that the first license fee for lottery was issued in 2008 for N200 Million, which he said, was huge money.

  • FIRS to charge VAT on lottery, betting, automate collection

    The Federal Government has announced plans to charge Value Added Tax (VAT) on lottery and gaming activities and automate collection from operators in the.

    This was announced on Monday in Lagos at a stakeholders’ engagement session with lottery and gaming operators.

    The session, organized by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in conjunction with the National Regulatory Commission (NLRC), had in attendance top brass of the revenue agency, led by FIRS Chairman, Mr. Tunde Fowler; Mr. Lanre Gbajabiamila, NLRC Director-General; representative of the Senate Committee Chairmen on Sports, representative of the Chairman, House Committee on Governmental Affairs; and industry operators.

    The plan will see users of the services provided by the industry paying 5 per cent VAT on each transaction made.

    Speaking at the session, the NLRC D-G stated that lottery and gaming operators collect VAT from users of the industry’s services without remitting such to the government, a situation that results in revenue losses. The session also noted that betting slips issued to consumers do not indicate VAT as they should.

    At a presentation made at the session by Zurich Technologies, provider of the automated software solution for VAT collection, the process will be made electronically in a way that computes the VAT payable by consumers on each operator’s platform by aggregating transactions for a 21-day period and the operator is given a bill for the VAT payable. The bill is then settled through the online platform, as the software allows operators to file VAT returns and is flexible enough to accommodate disputation over the figures, which operators can resolve with the FIRS through the provision of documents to back such claims. The Zurich Technologies representative, who made the presentation, explained that automation will improve transparency in the collection process.

    Industry operators, however, argued that automation has the potential of killing the industry, as the additional 5 per cent charge for VAT could discourage punters from using their services with the frequency they currently do.

    Speaking on behalf of lottery and gaming operators, Mr. Akin Alabi, founder of Nairabet and House of Representatives member-elect, said the potential reduction in hoped-for winnings, especially on low-odds bets, will drive customers from regulated operators into the hands of unregulated ones. He argued that the FIRS should have consulted operators before taking the decision to impose 5 per cent VAT and the automation of collection.

    Responding, the FIRS Chairman assured that VAT is not a tax to be borne by operators, but their customers.

    “Tax has to do with law and the law says that for every transaction that is VATable, 5 per cent should be charged. You have to be aware that we are automating collection in all industries. This is not a tax on the business, but on a bettor who hopes to win. You also have to realize that 85 per cent of VAT goes to the state, which are supposed to be closer to us. In this case, we are all winners,” Fowler said.

    The FIRS Chairman further stated that additional revenue from VAT will aid provision of better social economic infrastructure for the country.

  • NCC to license telecoms operators to host lotteries on networks

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it will soon license telecom companies to host lotteries on their networks.

    Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, said this during the review of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NCC and National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) on Monday in Abuja.

    “Very soon we are going to license our telecomunicators to host lotteries on telecom networks and because the network are regulated by the NCC, we need to be involved.

    “That is why the NCC has to be involved from the very beginning to ensure that our operators who will be participating in hosting the lottery services have the capacity to do so.

    “The service you are about to introduce will add additional burden to the network and the NCC is always concerned that any burden on the telecommunication’s infrastructure may conspire to degrade quality of service.

    “We are very much concerned that this does not happen. Our operators that will be participating in your lotteries have the capacity to host this additional very important service because of the empowerment it will be bringing in the country.

    “What you are doing rhymes in two places of the eight-point agenda of the NCC in the area of strategic collaboration and partnership with other agencies of government and in the area of protecting and empowering the consumer,” he said.

    Danbatta said the hosting of the lottery in the telecom network would empower the Nigerian telecommunication service consumers who may be among the many that would participate in the lottery.

    He said NLRC and NCC have an existing Memorandum of Understanding since 2011 which was due for review every four years.

    “The whole idea is to cooperate in order to provide the environment with facilities so to speak for the lottery commission to host lotteries in the country and because lotteries all over the world are electronically driven,’’ he said.

    Earlier, the Director-General of NLRC, Mr Lanre Gbajabiamila, said the signing of the MoU between the two commissions would regulate telecommunications aspect of lottery in Nigeria.

    “We had committees set up and worked together with NCC to make sure that everything is in place.

    “We have also met with the operators to have a better understanding and to let them know the dos and don’ts of what we need to have in place.

    “ I believe with this it will be easy for all the stakeholders involved to have the ease of doing business especially when it comes to lottery and gaming industry.

     

  • Trump urges congress to end U.S. visa lottery

    U.S. President Donald Trump has called on Congress to end the visa lottery programme, citing a Justice Department crackdown on a recipient who abused resident status to finance terrorist activities abroad.

    “Time to end the visa lottery,” Trump said in a Twitter post.

    “Congress must secure the immigration system and protect Americans.”

    Trump linked his message to a Justice Department press release regarding a complaint to revoke the resident status of a visa lottery program recipient who funded global terrorist activities.

    The Justice Department’s complaint said a Sudanese national who gained lawful permanent resident status through the “diversity visa lottery program” ran a non-profit organisation, the Islamic American Relief Agency, and through it funneled money to known terrorist organisations in Iraq and elsewhere.

    Earlier, report revealed that US immigration enforcement arrests shut up 20 per cent in 2017 versus the previous year.

    The report also said that former President Barack Obama’s immigration policy was more narrowly focused on arresting undocumented immigrants convicted of serious crimes.

     

  • Reps to investigate 19 lottery operators

    The House of Representatives on Wednesday mandated its Committee on Governmental Affairs to investigate the activities of licensed lottery operators from 2000 to date with a view to ensuring that tax defaulters among them are made to pay promptly.

    This followed the adoption of a motion by Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas, who noted that out of the 21 licensed lottery operators in the country, only two or three have successfully paid their dues and other taxes to the Federal Government over the last few years.

    He said: “All over the world, tax evasion is deemed a very serious offence as most advanced countries sustain their economies through effective and transparent taxation system where operators of businesses pay their taxes promptly.

    “The Nigerian Lottery Commission can become one of the revenue generating agencies if the operators of lottery are made to pay taxes to the government as and when due, as the government needs the money to execute various projects rather than borrowing to fund the annual budget.

    “These lottery operators have been defaulting in payments of all their fees to the Commission for more than 10 years now, including the nature and type of games being played, the list of winners and total amount generated.

    “For emphasis, the Acting Director General of the Commission even stated that since his assumption of office about four months ago, the operators have not been meeting their obligations.”

    When the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, called for a voice vote, the motion was supported by majority of members of the House.

    The investigating committee is expected to report back to the House within six weeks for further legislative action.