By Leshi Adebayo
Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has unveiled a new name and brand logo for the Lagos State Lotteries Board.
Sanwo-Olu, during a ceremony held at the Lagos Oriental Hotels, Victoria Island on Friday, officially changed Lagos State Lotteries Board to Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority.
This comes after six months after the governor signed the amended Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority bill into law, after it was passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly.
According to Sanwo-Olu, the new identity is a part of extensive reforms initiated by his administration to reposition the industry for greater efficiency and stakeholder satisfaction.
He added that the rebranding will bring about a new business culture which will protect stakers and licensed operators in the state’s gaming sector.
“The unveiling ceremony marks a new dawn in the history of lottery and gaming regulation in the Centre of Excellence. The agency has been rebranded to set and enforce gaming standards in a responsible and fair manner. The goal is to gain and sustain the trust and confidence of all operators and stakeholders in the lottery and gaming business.
“Our administration did the needful by painstakingly collaborating with the House of Assembly to initiate and pass the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority Bill of 2021, which I signed into law last April. The new law will help to institutionalize major reforms in the Lagos gaming sector and expand the scope of our lotteries and gaming authority’s operations in accordance with gaming dynamics across the globe,” he said.
The governor added, “With this newly rebranded agency, all the functional elements of the lotteries and gaming industry will be unlocked to create a new model of gaming in Lagos State. I charge the management to forge a transparent and formidable alliance with licensed gaming operators in the State, with a view to creating a vibrant Gaming Industry for a more prosperous and sustainable economy.”
He, however, advised illegal lottery and gaming operators in the state to obtain operational licences from the agency as the government would not hesitate to prosecute any unlicensed operators.
Also speaking at the event, Chief Executive Officer of the State’s Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Mr Bashir Are boasted that the agency had recorded landmark achievements in terms of regulating, protecting and promoting best practices in gaming space.
He said, “There are more than 56,000 full time employees and gaming agents operating in Lagos. We have deployed an automated system to monitor gaming transactions in jurisdiction. We also launched agent registration platform to weed swindlers from licensed agents.
“For us, the future has begun and we are excited about the unfolding development in the gaming industry. Our next goal is to focus on creating greater efficiency and sustainable economic value for the State, operators, players and relevant stakeholders in the sector.”
Are revealed that in the nearest future, the agency’s advocacy against underage and addictive gambling would be improved with stronger policy and sustained campaign.
