Nigeria’s VP praised for opposing lottery bill

The official declined to accept four bills amended by the National Assembly.

Nigeria.- Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) praised the current Acting President (vice president) of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, because he didn’t approve four gambling bills because one of them is involved in one ongoing court case.

Olusegun Oshinowo, Director-General of NECA, said: “There is indeed a pending case at the Federal Court of Appeal on this subject matter. The rejected Bill was an attempt by some concerned parties to ambush the course of justice through amendments of the extant Act, an action that flies in the face of fair play and equity.” He commented that the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) is aware of the development and all parties, as law abiding citizens, were expected to await the pronouncement of the court. “Surprisingly, NLRC resorted to back-hand tactics of sponsoring amendments to the Act before the determination of the suit.”

“The Acting President, through his rejection of the National Lottery Bill, has displayed government’s belief in fairness and justice, and has affirmed unequivocally its belief in enterprise rights and those of ordinary Nigerians. These are hallmarks of good governance,” he added. Nigeria saw the launch of its first online lottery and the opening of three casinos back in 2004, and in 2013 the first online casino was opened. When they first opened, casinos only featured Roulette games, and despite local laws restricting citizens to approved sites, they can access a wide range of international sports and casino operators.

It is estimated that the online gambling market could be worth US$37 billion, and the government thinks that implementing proper controls and regulation could be beneficial for the potential tax revenues from such a bis business.