The National Lottery Authority (NLA), according to the approved 2014 Act, is clothed with the authority to regulate all games of chances such as raffle draws, casinos, slot machines, schemes, arrangements, systems, plans, promotional competition or device for the distribution of prizes by lot of chance, or as a result of the exercise of skill and chance or betting based on the outcome of an event, including but not limited to sports, or any other game, scheme, and arrangement, a release has said.
Additionally the NLA is mandated by the act to conduct, manage, and/or regulate the operation and business of the national lottery in the Republic and ensure the enforcement of laws relating to national lottery.
One March 18, 2019, the Deputy Director General for Operations, Neved P. Kortu, communicated with the Management of Doxxbet-Liberia Incorporated, informing the management about an inspection exercise to commence on March 20- 22, 2019.
According to Kortu, on March 21, 2019, the Operation, Monitoring and Evaluation team visited the offices of the entity, but the management instructed the staff at their outlets not to allow NLA inspection teams enter their outlets and to not sign the assessment form.
He told the Daily Observer, the NLA Act Section 7.6, grants the NLA the rights to conduct periodic assessment of the operations of NLA in the country and submit reports annually to the President and the Legislature through the Board. On the basis of this mandate, Mr. Kortu decided to carry out the assessment exercise.
Additionally, his term of reference as Deputy Director General for Operations, is to ensure compliance of the Lottery rules and regulations; ensure that a through monitoring and evaluation mechanism of the gaming sector is carried out periodically to ascertain that guidelines are fully complied with by gaming institutions; ensure that violators are brought to book and exposed in line with the 2014 Act and the NLA Regulation 001.
On the basis of some of these duties of his office, he decided to bring to book and expose Doxxbet for defrauding government over the past years.
According to the Gaming Regulations 001 payment schedule, a slot machine operator is required to pay to the NLA US$20,000 for 20 slot machines, and the operator is required to pay US$500 as registration fees for additional one slot machine from the exception of the initial 20 machines.
According to inside sources, Doxxbet is currently operating 105 slot machines across the country, at 38 locations, and these locations are in Montserrado, Grand Gedeh, Margibi, Nimba and Bong. Out of the number, 20 are paid for every month by Doxxbet, thereby defrauding the government of thousands of United States dollars over the past years.
In view of the Doxxbet's refusal to cooperate with the NLA, a decision was reached to close down their facilities due to resistance encountered by NLA officials from supervisors at the gaming entity's various locations in Montserrado to count and verify the number of slot machines at those outlets. "Doxxbet will pay this government every cent they defrauded the government since the operation started in 2012," declared Mr. Kortu.
