The House of Representatives has called on the National Lottery Regulatory Commission to ensure that all gaming operators in the country integrate the National Identity (NIN) in their data collection.
The call followed the adoption of a motion moved by Ibrahim A. Isiaka at plenary on Thursday.
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Presenting the motion, he said the critical barrier to entry for customers is age and identity verification in age-restricted businesses like casinos and online gaming platforms.
He, therefore, said there is an increased need for such verifications in virtual situations in order to secure both the customers and the operators.
He said: “One of the basic purposes of the National Identity Number is for identification, as it not only serves to identify the individual holder but also curbs duplication of identities.
“It is imperative for regulators to place a premium on data security of gamers and gaming operators and one readily available way to achieve this is to integrate the National Identity Numbers (NIN) into the data collection of both new and existing customers.”
Isiaka noted that the global gaming market is estimated to generate $400 to $500 billion yearly, adding that with the consistency of the current trends, by 2022, it is set to be worth around $565 billion with increasing amounts of revenues coming from online gaming in its many forms.
He added: “When such large amounts of money are exchanged and transacted quickly through relatively anonymous interactions, there is a significant risk that criminals will be tempted to use the situation for money laundering.”
The house mandated the Committee on Governmental Affairs to ensure compliance.
