Some stakeholders in the lottery industry have called on the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) to provide proper regulation to guide against what they described as unscrupulous lottery businesses in the country.

They made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday, at the ongoing lottery stakeholder’s conference and exhibition.

The theme of the exhibition is: ‘Repositioning the Nigeria Lottery Industry for National Development.’

The General-Secretary, National Union of Lottery Agents and Employee, Mr. Gregory Olatunji that such regulation became necessary because of the emerging lottery businesses in the country.

“The union is an umbrella of lottery operators and owing to the immense number of illegal operators, the commission should be responsible for checking this menace.

“The exhibition has shown to us that we have a lot to do in order to regulate the workers in this industry.

“That is why today we want to let Nigerians know that there is a union that everybody can belong, to fight the good cause.

“We need to come together with one voice and with the assistance of the commission, we can guide against fake and illegal operators.”

Olatunji, however, called on Nigerians to erase the notion that lottery was game of deceit, adding that it was a win-win game that could be of benefit to all Nigerians.

The Company Secretary, R&S Lotto, Mr. Ekemeni Ike told NAN that over the years, the organisation had been able to provide employment opportunity to about 5,000 youths across the country.

Ike said that though R&S Lotto was faced with some challenges in its operations, it overcame them with the help of the lottery commission.

“Unfortunately, we are faced with difficulties from a lot of the state in which we are subjected to heavy taxation.

“The lottery business in Nigeria is controlled by the lottery commission but most states have not accepted that, because we are been taxed heavily and this is against our operations.

“We are harassed on daily basis by local governments and some states, but we hope the commission will help us harmonise whatever fee we are expected to pay.”

He called on the commission to do more awareness campaign to enable more Nigerians to understand that lottery was not gambling and to persuade the public to know the importance of lottery.

The Head of Sales and Marketing, Premier Bet, Mr. Bayo Oke called on lottery players to play by the rules of the game.

Oke said that lottery was a game of chance in which players needed to exhibit some kind of security consciousness.

“Lottery is a game of chance, the chance comes with the way you combine the figures by following the game rules.

“Players need to play right, keep the ticket for security purpose.

“If you play the Baba Ijebu game and you win, you are paid immediately and you use your money to buy houses.

“A lot of people have benefited from the game.”

Oke called on the commission to speed action against illegal operators who were poised to destroy the market.

NAN reports that the conference was aimed at celebrating 10 years of existence of the commission. (NAN)

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