The Edo State Government will soon introduce new guidelines and rules to regulate activities in the pools industry in the state.The Executive Chairman of Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), Chief (Sir) Oseni Elamah made this known in Benin City on Friday while playing host to the new executive of the state chapter of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and some veteran sports writers in the state.Chief Elamah noted that Edo State is a doyen of pools betting, casino and e-betting, adding that government plans to harness the economic potentials in the industry for the overall benefits of all stakeholders.“Our role is to co-ordinate and ensure that there is fairness, justice and those who won are paid their winnings and that nobody is taken due advantage of”, Chief Elamah stated.The Edo State Chief Tax Officer stated that those involved in pools, e-betting and casino and the winnings from these sporting activities are subject to tax, adding that “this is a very veritable source of generating IGR for government”.He, however, noted that the activities in the pools industry have not been open, transparent and accountable as a result of weak supervision and control over the years.The Executive Chairman stated that EIRS having strengthened its operations in other areas, has now decided to focus and reform the pools industry in such a way that it will generate revenue and benefit all stakeholders.He called on members of SWAN to help government in propagating the imperative of tax as a civic responsibility of the citizenry.Earlier, the state Chairman of SWAN, Comrade Ahmed Aigbona, said the visit was to formally acquaint the EIRS’s chairman and members of his management team with the new leadership of SWAN in Edo State as well as to solicit for support to enable its members to discharge their duties without encumbrances.
EDSG Plans New Reform in Pool Industry
