NLRC asks lottery operators to avoid inappropriate advertising

The National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) has advised operators in the gaming industry to market and advertise responsibly to avoid portraying the sector in a wrong manner.

NLRC Director of Legal Services, Mrs Olayemi Ajayi, gave the advice at the maiden National Gaming Conference organised by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) on Tuesday in Lagos.

The theme of the two-day event was “Repositioning the Gaming Industry for Better Gerformance and Enhanced Revenue Generation for stakeholders in the 21st century”.

She said that adverts and marketing strategies that gave the public a negative impression about gambling should be avoided.

Ajayi noted that the use of educational materials about gaming as souvenirs or gifts to school should be avoided because the target audience were mostly minor.

“All operators are expected to have both physical and virtual checks in place at all times to ensure no player below the age of 18 is allowed to play,” she said.

Olayemi said that responsible gaming was a very critical and important element in the industry in order to protect lottery players and encourage operators to do the right thing.

“The objective of responsible gaming is to ensure the integrity of the operation of all stakeholders in the gaming industry.

“It will also promote awareness of the harms associated with gaming such as addiction,” Ajayi said.

Speaking on gaming addiction, the director urged players to indulge in gaming just for entertainment purposes, noting that they should not use it as a way of coping with stress, loneliness or depression.

She also stressed the need for players dealing with addiction to seek professional help or advice from a counselor.

Other ways of avoiding addiction is to always treat the money lost as a form of entertainment.

“Set a limit to your spending at every session and stick to it, expect losses, don’t use your credit cards to play lottery games and create balance in your life,” she said.