Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has called for homegrown innovations to better regulate the gaming industry in the country and reposition it to contribute more meaningfully to the economy.
He also advocated more enlightenment in addition to regulation to guide the people to draw the line between leisure and addiction.
He spoke in Enugu yesterday while declaring open the maiden Enugu Gaming Conference/Exhibition organised by the Enugu State Gaming and Lotto Commission (ESGLC) with th theme ‘Exploring the Future of Gaming: Innovations and Collaborations.’
Mbah, represented by his deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai, said: “We must separate gaming driven by addiction where you now have to wreck yourself financially by selling your properties, selling your jewellery or that of the members of your family because you want to play a game, and gaming driven by leisure. These are two different things and that is where the regulators have a duty to checkmate this.
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“Technology has a role to play, and I am happy the theme is discussing innovation; and innovation has to do with technology and advancement. If you look across the globe, there are many opinions, software options and technology options that could help drive that. It is not rocket science.
“Meanwhile, what we are doing here is part of the sensitization process, part of the platform to articulate better ways to handle it, to also show that we have a role to play, to secure those who play on the platform.”