ASGR in Nigeria Objects to NLRC Proposed Excise and Permit
AGENDA
The Association of State Gaming Regulators (ASGR created in 2018) held a meeting in Ikeja recently where the association expressed their concerns over the Know Your Customer (KYC) exercise introduced by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) to be done via the NLRC recently introduced National Premium Identity Verification Platform (NPIVP).
After reviewing the details of the introduced exercise, the ASGR expressed serious concerns regarding the constitutionality as well as the legality of it. According to the Association, other Federal Government agencies perform similar exercises and in introducing it, NLRC is only abusing power and duplicating duties of Federal agencies.
At the emergency meeting, the ASGR affirmed its position that the NLRC continually push policies that do not advance the gaming businesses in Nigeria and that NLRC has not only brought in other federal agencies into gaming business to harass state licensed operators, but it has also deviated from every known international best practice designed to ease business operations in Nigeria.
RESOLUTION
It was resolved at the meeting that stakeholders in the gaming industry in Nigeria jointly reject the KYC exercise via the NPIVP introduced by the NLRC as it negates all constitutional and legal policies already in place to ease gaming operations in Nigeria and provide a safe playing ground for operators.
The meeting agenda also discussed the supposed implementation of the Off-Shore Gaming Permit introduced by the NLRC and the association emphasised the resolution that stakeholders in the gaming industry in strong terms, rejects such permit and its implementation.
In conclusion of the meeting, stakeholders in the gaming industry agreed that the KYC exercise via NPIVP and the Offshore Gaming Permit introduced by NLRC is unacceptable in view of the adverse effects it can have on the gaming industry in Nigeria.
The press statement on details of the meeting, published by Punch newspaper, was signed by Mr. Jide Boladuro; deputy chairman, Oyo state, Mr. Harrison Ogara, Enugu State and Mr. Samuel Akins, Kaduna state.
