The activities of KC Gaming Networks, operators of the Bet9ja brand, have been halted in Enugu State following alleged repeated breaches of the Enugu State Gaming and Lottery Law, THE WHISTLER has reported.
The Enugu State Government confirmed on Tuesday that the shutdown was prompted by the company’s continued failure to comply with regulatory requirements. As part of the enforcement action, the state sealed the company’s head office in Enugu through the Enugu State Gaming and Lotto Commission, acting on an order issued by the Enugu State High Court.
Speaking on the development, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Prince Arinze Arum, explained that the decision followed several unsuccessful attempts by the state to secure compliance from the operator.
According to him, the commission had repeatedly engaged KC Gaming Networks over various regulatory violations but received no meaningful response. He noted that the company ignored numerous warnings, administrative notices and appeals, particularly concerning licence renewal, unpaid fees, and other statutory obligations.
Arum said the enforcement action signalled a complete suspension of Bet9ja’s operations within the state.
He stated that the sealing of the Enugu head office marked the beginning of a statewide clampdown on the company’s activities, adding that all Bet9ja outlets across Enugu would also be shut.
He stressed that the state government was determined to ensure strict adherence to the law, regardless of the size or influence of any business, maintaining that no operator is above the law and that violations would attract consequences.
Arum further disclosed that the commission had exhausted all administrative options before taking the enforcement route, citing what he described as a pattern of deliberate disregard for regulatory directives.
He pointed out that requests for licence revalidation and formal demand notices for outstanding payments owed to the state were repeatedly ignored by the company.
Addressing claims of excessive billing by the state, Arum dismissed such allegations, insisting that all fees, levies and taxes are assessed in line with existing laws and regulations. He added that genuine operators would not accuse the government of imposing arbitrary charges, noting that compliance is mandatory for all operators, big or small.
It was gathered that the shutdown followed an ex parte order granted by the Enugu State High Court, presided over by Justice H.O. Eya, in Suit No. 6/54/2025, involving the Enugu State Gaming and Lottery Commission and KC Gaming Networks.
The court order authorised the commission to seal and restrict access to the company’s gaming premises across Enugu State for failure to remit demanded gross gaming revenue, pending the hearing of a substantive motion already before the court.
The Enugu State Government reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing compliance within the gaming industry, warning that tolerating regulatory violations could encourage other operators to flout the law.