Oyo Govt Vows To Seal Gaming, Lottery Centres Without Operational Licenses

Oyo State Gaming and Lottery Board on Tuesday evening, vowed to seal all the  gaming and lottery centers without operational license within in and across the nooks and crannies of the state.
The board’s Director General, Mr Olaji Boladuro handed down the warning on Tuesday evening, while speaking on the sealing of three gaming centers in Ibadan by the enforcement team of the board.
He disclosed that the sealing of the gaming centres located at Bodija, Idi-Ape and Dugbe areas of Ibadanwas due to the failure of some operators of the gaming and lottery centers to regularise their operations with the appropriate body of the State Government responsible for their regularization and control.
According to Mr Boladuro, ” the role of the Board is to regulate, curtail and promote the business of gaming and lottery in Oyo State”, adding, the ” Board has written on several occasions to the illegal operators of the gaming and lottery centers who were not licensed by the Board to operate in the State to come to the Board for dialogue and proper registration.
” We regulate, we promote and we protect the citizens of Oyo State that are interested in the business of gaming and lottery and we want them to have a good experience. Those who are found violating the law by operating anything gaming, lottery, casino pools or scratch cards illegally, we try to enforce them to regularize and do their legitimate business within the State”, he said.
Mr Boluwaduro added, “ this exercise is ongoing and it is a warning to others that are also in this category of unregistered status that the long arm of the law will soon catch them.”
Speaking further, the DG noted that the present administration in the state has created an enabling environment for the gaming and lottery business to operate with  laws that they must follow and abide by, which will certify them to do their business in the State.
He then called on those who are still operating gaming and lottery centers without license to keep in mind that there is a body established by the Government to regulate their activities, and approach the office of the board for necessary measures.
“The problem that this creates, in the long run, is that if you bet with an operator that is not licensed and you get duped, then there is no way that we can assist you to make things right. That is why we want to know the people that are doing this business in our State and we will continue to sensitize the people to know that this is the only right way for them to go,”