NCC, lottery commission renew MoU to prevent unapproved gaming practices

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has renewed its memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC).

Reuben Muoka, director, public affairs, NCC, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.

The commission said the MoU was with provisions to deter unapproved lottery and gaming practices on telecommunications platforms through information and intelligence sharing.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Umar Danbatta, executive vice-chairman, NCC, said the MoU, which would impact the gaming industry, was in synchronisation with the commission’s strategic vision plan (SVP).

Danbatta also said the MoU would promote fair practices in the industry for the protection of telecommunication consumers in relation to lottery and gaming activities.

He added that the collaboration was in line with the provisions of the commission’s SVP, 2021-2025, which would provide for the facilitation of strategic partnership and collaboration with other bodies to enhance service delivery.

“The initial MoU expired in 2022, amendments and modifications have been made since no MoU is cast in stone, especially given the industry’s dynamic nature,” he said.

On his part, Lanre Gbajabiamila, director-general, NLRC, expressed optimism that the MoU would yield favourable outcomes in curbing illegal online gambling.

Gbajabiamila was also optimistic that the NCC and NLRC would achieve their intentions in the interest of gaming stakeholders.

He decried how unapproved lottery, gaming activities, and practices undermine the integrity of domestic and global gaming markets to the detriment of the stakeholders.

The director-general said this was in addition to undermining consumer confidence in the markets, hence the collaboration with the commission to arrest such tendencies.

Also speaking, Adeleke Adewolu, executive commissioner, stakeholder management, NCC, said the MoU was designed to address recent technology information-sharing capabilities and consumer satisfaction.

Adewolu said it was also to enhance areas of co-regulation in line with the digital economy mandate.

“The new MoU replaces the one that was first signed by both organisations, which expired in 2022,” he said.

“It provides complementary approaches to deter unapproved lottery practices on telecommunications platforms through information and intelligence sharing.

“This is in recognition of how unapproved lottery and gaming activities and practices undermine the integrity of domestic and global gaming markets to the detriment of stakeholders in addition to undermining consumer confidence in these markets.

“Under the agreement, following requests from NLRC, NCC shall endeavour to block or disable illegal lottery gaming operators on the telecommunications service providers’ platform in Nigeria and NLRC

“The document is developed by a joint implementation committee (JIC) comprising representatives of NCC and NLRC to implement the MoU and other matters that promote collaboration between both organisations in their regulatory functions.”