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Nigeria’s federal gambling regulator has defended the government’s decision to implement a new central monitoring system (CMS), saying it could become a “cornerstone” in the nation’s plan to move away from its dependence on oil and gas revenue.
The National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) said the government’s planned revenue assurance platform or CMS is a “regulatory tool designed to monitor electronic/online gaming machines and video lottery terminals”, in a press release on June 7.
“It also helps to check daily/monthly balances of gaming machines and locations. It is an application intended for authorities to supervise the organisation of games in betting shops, online casinos, and lottery platforms; and set a new standard for regulatory practices in the gaming industry,” the NLRC said.
The NLRC believes that this additional oversight will "entrench transparency and accountability", and stop tax leakages to allow the gambling industry to "become a cornerstone in the nation’s economic plan which positions the gaming industry among key contributors of revenue to the government’s coffers".
The NLRC has called for a CMS for many years.
Nigeria’s federal gambling regulator also dismissed stakeholders that have called for a suspension of the concession awarded to Yuan Resources Limited “due to alleged illegalities while discrepancies have also been observed between the federal and state regulators.”
“The commission has on the other hand consistently called for proper synergy between the two authorities for adequate regulation of the industry,” the NLRC said.
After the government awarded the tender, a letter signed by more than 20 state regulators and shared with local media outlets called for the federal government to “acknowledge the constitutional and judicial positions on gaming regulation”.
Nigeria's government has repeatedly called on state and federal regulators to settle their differences, blaming the dispute on revenue collection.
The Supreme Court is handling a case to determine the powers that state and federal gambling regulators have, following years of disputes between them and concerns raised by bookmakers that they face “double regulation” due to a lack of legal clarity.
