The National Lottery Regulatory Commission has called on Nigerian lottery operators to improve their compliance in terms of prompt return of monies to the Federal Government.
Mr Lanre Gbajabiamila, Director-General of the NLRC, announced this in a statement issued on Thursday following a meeting with the Association of Nigerian Bookmakers in Abuja.
During the meeting, Gbajabiamila expressed the government’s growing worry about non-compliance, particularly among operators of unlicensed internet casinos.
He stated, “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 discussions, ANB Chairman Sheriff Olaniyan brought up a number of problems, including enforcement activities in cities like Ibadan and Lagos, as well as challenges with the NLRC’s Cybersecurity Framework Fees and withholding tax regulations.
He emphasised that “98 per cent comply with NLRC regulations” and urged “clearer remittance guidelines” to support compliance.
In response, Gbajabiamila reiterated that the NLRC would not give advance notice before enforcing regulations.
“We will not notify you before enforcement. For some time now, we have refrained from major enforcement actions, but now we must act,” he asserted, stressing the importance of adherence to permit conditions.
Gbajabiamila reaffirmed that there would be no reductions in the controversial casino licence fees, emphasizing the importance of only financially capable operators participating in the business.
He acknowledged the request for a review of quarterly remittances, alluding to possible license revocations to assess operators’ financial viability.
The meeting also discussed the continuing jurisdictional issue between the Federal Government and Lagos State.
Gbajabiamila underlined that “all online lottery activities fall under the Federal Government’s purview” and pledged to resolve the situation for the benefit of all parties.
“The bottom line is revenue, and we are ready to share it with states,” he noted.
Gbajabiamila reminded ANB members of the NLRC’s commitment to their assistance, promising to work with the Presidential Committee on tax regulations and other regulatory issues addressed during the discussion.
