If members of the House of Representatives have their way stop sports betting said to be a pastime of 60 million young Nigerians may soon become a thing of history in the country.
This followed
a resolution by Rep. Kelechi Nwogu (PDP-Rivers) at the plenary in Abuja on
Thursday.
The lawmaker
had in the resolution complained that the National Lottery Regulatory
Commission (NLRC) is weak or has neglected regulations of sports betting in the
country.
He said this
have given rise to mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety and
addiction.
Nwogu added
that it had also led to strain or broken relationships due to lying or stealing
from friends and family, financial problems, legal issues, and job loss due to
excessive loss or debt.
“Betting has
given rise to increased crime rate and eventual suicide,” he said.
He harped on
the need for campaigns to prevent the negative social impact of lottery and
underage participation.
Adopting the
motion, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Information and National
Orientation to conduct comprehensive nationwide campaign to raise public
awareness about the negative impact of youth participation in sports betting.
The House also
mandated the Committee on Inter–Governmental Affairs to conduct a Public
Hearing on the dangerous effects of sports betting in Nigeria.
It urged the
committee to report back to it within four weeks for further legislative
action.
The National
Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF) has revealed that over 65 million Nigerians actively
engage in betting, spending an average of 15 dollars daily.
NLTF also said
Nigerians spend an estimated 975 million dollars daily on online sports
betting, which amounts to about 356 billion dollars annually.
It was
estimated that about 60 million Nigerians aged between 18 and 40 engage in
sports betting.
Many young
Nigerians also engaged in sports betting to get succour from the hardship in
the country.
The NLTF lists
58 betting companies approved to operate in Nigeria on its website.
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