The Kaduna Internal Revenue Service (KADIRS) has sealed off 13 betting outlets. These outlets include outlets of popular online bookmaker, Bet9ja. The outlets were sealed off in a bid to clampdown unregistered gambling businesses Kaduna state.
While talking to newsmen about the development, Liye Anthony, Head of Gaming Unit at KADIRS said ten shops owned by both bet9ja and King Bet, two shops owned by Access Bet and one shop owned by Derby Lotto were sealed off in a campaign that commenced recently.
He said: “We have sent a series of letters to the owners of the companies, asking them to come forward and register in line with the requirements of the law, but failed to do so.
“We, therefore, decided to close down their offices and if they fail to come forward and regularised their operation within the next 14 days, we will prosecute them in accordance with the law.”
It was gathered that around 1,500 gaming outlets operate in the state without licence and without proper registration.
According to Anthony, the operation will not end until they are shut down.
He added: “We will continue to go after them until all the operators of the gaming companies regularise their operations and obtained the needed license to operate in the state.”
The Chairman of KADIRS, Zaid Abubakar revealed that the tax liability bill of the gambling businesses totals N500 million and that excludes outstanding registration and license fees.
According to him, K.C. Gaming Networks, who owns bet9ja has an unsettled tax of N325 million while Bet King and Access Bet owes N68 million and N33 million respectively even though they rake in N2 billion monthly revenue.
