Sierra Leone News: State Lottery calls for betting regulatory policy

The Sierra Leone State Lottery Company in collaboration with the National Commission for Privatization (NCP) have welcomed a presentation on fighting manipulation and money laundering in sport betting.
Theirry Pujol, the Director of Sport Integrity at La Francaise Des Jeux, the France national lottery, believed to be the world third largest lottery operators, made the presentation at the NCP Tower office in Freetown.
The Director, in his “Fight against manipulation of sport competition”, presentation, said, “Apparently 85% of betting is illegal. Sport is the most affected which has the likelihood of match fixing across the world. He said France has started the fight against manipulation in betting since last year. Money laundering in sport is critical and needs urgent attention.
The Chairman of NCP, Suliaman Kabba Koroma, expressed appreciation to the Sierra Leone State Lottery company for their timely expression of interest in the formation of a regulatory policy. He thanked the chairman of the World Lottery Association who doubles as the vice chairman of European Lotteries and his team for their presentation pointing that it will assist in promoting and strengthen betting in the country.
Koroma assured the team of their commitment in ensuring there is ‘integrity’ in betting and that institutions make progress. They will ensure a policy on regulations is instituted as soon as possible.
The Director of Sierra Leone State Lottery, Charles S. Kamara, pledged their continual commitment in supporting government on regulatory policy disclosing that the director of sport integrity is willing to assist in fighting against manipulation and money laundering in betting.
The Anti-Corruption Commission representative, Sholay Davies, disclosed that match fixing and money laundering poses serious threat to the economy of the country stating that it will be of important to have a regulatory policy on betting. He assured of their commitment in the fight against corruption in all sector in the interest of the country.
Even though the Sierra Leone Financial Intelligence Unit failed to capture betting in the Anti-Money Laundering Act, the unit director assured of ensuring it will be reflect when the Act is be amended.         MK/19/9/17
By Mohamed Kabba
@chikakabba
Wednesday September 20, 2017.