Popular gambling services in Nigeria, including Bet9ja, 1960bet, Nairabet, and 9jaPredict, have been banned by Governor Chukwuma Soludo over alleged dark deals.
The notification of the prohibition is contained in a statement co-signed by the Commissioner for Homeland Affairs, Chikodi Anara; the Chairman of the Anambra State Internal Revenue Service, Richard Madiebo; and the Commissioner for Culture, Entertainment, and Tourism, Donatus Onyenji.
The statement claims that the prohibition is a response to a troubling amount of petitions that the government recently received over the manipulation of gaming machines and non-transparency in winnings payments.
It said that the accusations amounted to grave violations of the sector’s international best practices, which the administration led by Governor Chukwuma Soludo would not tolerate.
The statement partly read, “This fraudulent practice will not be allowed to thrive under the watch of Prof Chukwuma Soludo’s administration and therefore must be dealt with immediately.
“Consequently, the Anambra government hereby directs operators of casino games in hotels, restaurants, and bars to suspend all gaming and casino operations with immediate effect pending the conclusion of investigations.”