The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen has said gaming is a growing industry with the capacity to create jobs and wealth across borders.
According to him, this called for proper management and regulation to ensure that the right things are done and that they add value to national and personal wealth.
Abbas stated this while declaring open the public hearing on the bill for an act to repeal the National Lottery Act 2005 and the National Lottery Amendment Act, 2017 organised by the House committee on intergovernmental affairs.
The bill seeks to enact a central gaming bill to regulate the operation and business of all forms of online and remote gaming across the geographical boundaries of the federating units and beyond the borders of Nigeria, provide for the conduct of gaming in the federal capital territory to enhance revenue generation for the federation, and address related matters.
Represented by Hon. Patrick Umoh from Akwa Ibom state, Speaker Abbas said, across the world, there are extant legal regulations that guide the operation of online gaming in different jurisdictions.
„The world has become a global community, and it is my view that we need to align our laws with global best practices so as to enjoy the benefits that accrue from such endeavors. Across the world, there are extant legal regulations that guide the operation of online gaming in different jurisdictions.
„These are such that ensures that operators must obtain a license and comply with regulatory requirements, implement measures to prevent underage gaming and promote responsible gaming practices, implement measures to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing, ensure the protection of players‘ personal data, and maintain confidentiality, among others.
„It is our belief that we ought to bring our laws in line with global best practices so that we may be able to secure the gaming rights of Nigerians across borders and also use gaming and lottery as a tool for national development. We look forward to fine-tuning our laws to serve the best interests of Nigeria and Nigerians. And I hope that you all will make your best inputs for the greater benefit of Nigeria,“ he added.
In a presentation, the permanent secretary, ministry of special duties and intergovernmental affairs, Dr Onwusoro Ihemelandu called for the harmonisation of bills on lottery for effectiveness.
„A key proposal in the discussions was the need for a clearly defined Regulatory Ministry, which stakeholders suggested should be the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs. Additionally, concerns were raised about the absence of the National Lottery Trust Fund in the bill‘s current version, even though its role is central to the national good cause projects funded by lottery proceeds.
„Another point of contention was the existence of another bill, which also aims to regulate lottery activities in the country. Stakeholders called for the harmonization of these two bills to create a single, cohesive framework. The two bills should distinguish between regulatory functions and operational duties, with a clear separation between the roles of regulators and operators. This is in line with global best practices in lottery and gaming regulation.
„In addition to these structural concerns, there was a specific question about the establishment of the Federal Capital Territory Gaming Department. Some participants questioned why the bill focused solely on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), pointing out that the bill should address the regulation of gaming nationwide, not just within the FCT,“ he added.
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