By STANLEY NWANOSIKE

The Enugu State Gaming and Lotto Commission, on Thursday, apprehended 21 underage lotto/game players in a lotto/game outlet in Independence Layout, Enugu.

The apprehended underage, who are between the ages of 12 and 15, were nabbed at about 1:30p.m. and handed over to the state Ministry for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chief Arinze Arum, told newsmen in Enugu, that the arrest of the underage players and unlicensed lotto/gaming outlet owner were part of ongoing moves to sanitise the system.

According to him, underage gaming will never gain ground as the commission is working closely with other governmental ministries, agencies, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders to totally eradicate it in the state.

He said that the commission had set up a task force to ensure that unlicensed, unregulated, underage and unethical practices did not have a place in the lotto/gaming industry in the state.

The executive secretary said that the commission had strengthened its regulations, adding that “we want to work proactively to stop underage gaming and not to treat it.

“Today, we received a tip off from some patriotic members of the public at about noon that underage and school children were crowded in a gaming outlets and playing games; and we verified and it was true.

“The commission quickly mobilised and contacted the state Ministry of Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development and we stormed the outlet and apprehended the underage children,” he said.

Arum said the commission profiled them and handed them over to the ministry.

“We shut down the outlet, handed over the owner of the outlet, which is not licensed by the commission, to the police for prosecution in accordance with the statutory legal provision regulating lotto and gaming in the state.

“The task force and monitoring teams will continue to comb streets and roads of Enugu and other areas to ensure that unlicensed lotto/gaming outlets do not operate and those duly licensed operate within the ambit of statutory regulations.”

Arum said that the commission would close any lotto/gaming outlet with underage within its business area, to serve as deterrent to others.

The executive secretary called on parents to observe and monitor their children to ensure they remained in school during school hours as well as monitor their peers and friends within their neighbourhoods and schools.

“The school authorities should help us ensure that no child leaves the school and head to a gaming outlet to play or learn the act of playing lotto or games.

“This is a collective fight by all and the state government is calling on all patriotic residents to continue to alert us and we assure prompt verification of any actionable information extended to the commission,” he said. (NAN)