The Oyo State Gaming Board has shut down six gaming centres for admitting underage gamers and students who were in uniforms during school hours.
It will be recalled that the state government had declared it as illegal for anyone under 18 years to participate in gaming.
The Board had also warned that any gaming center without proper registration would be sealed.
Mr Olajide Boladuro, Director-General, Oyo State Gaming Board, stressed in an interview with journalists, the need for gaming centers in the state to cooperate with government by complying and remitting their dues.
The DG said most of the centers had been served with warning letters to desist from allowing underage players.
Boladuro said, ‘’Most of the operators are aware that the state government frowned on underage gaming but most of them, despite having being warned, still persisted.
“Some of these children go to the centres with their school uniforms when they should be in school learning while some have turned those places to a hideout instead of going to school or at home to help their parents.
‘’We have many illegal gaming center operators that are yet to register with the Board and thereby operating without license. There are some that refused to pay up their levies and dues.
‘’For government to fulfill all its financial obligations, all gaming centres need to remit their levies as their civic duties. We implore the concerned gaming centers to cooperate with the government by fulfilling their statutory obligation.”
