Anambra State Government has directed the suspension of the operations of casinos and gaming centers in the state with immediate effect due to alleged fraudulent and criminal activities.
The government issued the directive in a statement, jointly signed by the Commissioner for Culture, Entertainment and Tourism, Donatus Onyenji; the Chairman, Anambra State Internal Revenue Service, Richard Madiebo; and the Commissioner for Homeland Affairs, Chikodi Angra.
The government described as “worrisome” the series of petitions it received about manipulation of casino machines and non-transparency in payment for winnings.
According to the statement, Soludo administration would not condone such abuse of global best practices in the industry.
“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, Restaurant and Bars to suspend all Gaming and Casino operations with immediate effect pending the conclusion of investigations,” the statement said.
The government will meet with hotel owners and managers in the state on Friday, 21 October at the Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre to address issues of enumeration and validation of hotel licenses, as well as security.
At the meeting, hotel revalidation forms for all categories of hotels amd tourism would be distributed.
Any hotel that was not profiled or without license would be closed down according to Anambra State Tourism and Hospitality Law, the statement said.
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.
