The Anambra State Government has directed the immediate suspension of operations of casinos and gaming centers in the state over alleged fraudulent and criminal activities.
The directive is contained 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 said it received a “worrisome” number of petitions about manipulation of casino machines and non-transparency in payment for winnings.
It said the allegations amounted to serious abuse of global best practices in the industry, which the government under the watch of Governor Charles Soludo would not condone.
“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 has fixed a meeting with hotel owners and managers in the state on 21 October at the Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre.
It said the meeting would address issues of enumeration and validation of hotel licenses, as well as security.
Hotel revalidation forms would be distributed at the venue for all categories of hotels and tourism enterprises and that any hotel that was not profiled or without license would be closed down according to Anambra State Tourism and Hospitality Law, the statement said.
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