NCC Renews MoU With Lottery Commission

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) have extended their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

According to the NCC, this was done with safeguards to prevent unauthorised lotteries and gambling on telecommunications platforms through the sharing of information and intelligence.

Dr Reuben Muoka, the NCC's director of public affairs, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

Prof. Umar Danbatta, the executive vice chairman of the NCC stated that the MoU, which would have an influence on the gaming industry, was in line with the Commission's Strategic Vision Plan (SVP).

According to Danbatta, this was done to support ethical business practises for the protection of telecommunications users in connection with gaming and lottery operations.

He said that the cooperation adhered to the Commission's SVP, 2021–2025, which would facilitate strategic partnerships and collaboration with other organisations in order to improve 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.

The NLRC's Director-General, Lanre Gbajabiamila, expressed confidence that the MoU will have a positive impact on the reduction of unlawful online gaming.

Gbajabiamila was also certain that NCC and NLRC would succeed in pursuing their goals in the best interests of those involved in the gaming industry.

He bemoaned how unlicensed lotteries, gaming, and practises compromise the stakeholders' interests by tarnishing domestic and international gaming marketplaces.

In addition to weakening consumer trust in the markets, the D-G claimed that this was the reason for the engagement with the Commission to stop such tendencies.

The Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Adeleke Adewolu, stated earlier in his introductory remarks that the MoU was created to address current technology information-sharing capabilities and customer satisfaction.

According to Adewolu, it was also to strengthen areas of co-regulation in keeping with the mandate for the digital economy.

“The new MoU replaces the one that was first signed by both organizations, which expired in 2022.

“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.”