Africa
Nigeria adopts pioneering system to collect taxes directly and in ‘real time’ from online transactions
The Federal Inland Revenue Service of Nigeria (FIRS) has signed an agreement with UK based Fintech company E-Technologies Global Limited, to help it modernise its tax collection system for the digital age.
The project is the first of its kind where a pioneering approach to tax collection, enforcement and monitoring is being implemented as a managed service through E-Tech’s Sentinal National Payment Gateway. Sentinal is a unique transaction processing system that instructs integrated payment service providers to deduct taxes or charges at the point of transaction and remits funds in real-time to Governments’ Treasury accounts.
The project with Nigeria starts with the launch of a new initiative by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission of Nigeria to attract ‘Tier 1’ offshore global gaming operators to apply for a five year Permit to offer all gaming and sports-betting services to Nigerian players. Operators must comply with full risk-based AML screening and pass the ‘fit and proper’ test to demonstrate responsible gaming practices before being granted a Remote Operator Permit.
All approved operators will then connect to Sentinal where gaming duty will be deducted from player deposits and remitted directly to the Government in real-time. The Permit has the advantage of allowing global operators to legitimately offer online gaming services to Nigerian players without the need to incorporate locally in-country and is subject to their continuing compliance with the Permit Terms and Conditions.
Mohammad Nami, Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service of Nigeria, said: “The world is entering a challenging time where there is a strong obligation on Governments to increase tax revenue as a percentage of GDP so as to provide much needed funding for local infrastructure and public services. Nigeria needs to innovate and harness technology to ensure that online transactions are taxed and accounted for.
“We have been very impressed with the Sentinal System which allows us to not only collect tax revenues at source, but also provides us with tax reporting and monitoring tools in real-time. The system will integrate with our own TaxPro Max portal.”
Lanre Gbajabiamila, Director General of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission of Nigeria, added: “Online gaming continues to grow rapidly in Nigeria, particularly on mobile, and the adoption of E-Technologies’ Sentinal National Payment Gateway is a huge step to allow us to capture gaming duty at source.
“We are welcoming all responsible offshore gaming operators to apply for a Remote Operator Permit as long as they pass all the relevant criteria including full AML screening and responsible gaming practices. We are proud to be the first country to adopt the Sentinal System and we believe it will bring a real national benefit to Nigeria.”
David Kicks, CEO of E-Technologies Global Limited, said: “Governments in rapidly developing nations are struggling to keep pace with the evolution of eCommerce and the ascent of mobile transactions. E-Technologies was created specifically to address this issue and we have built an incredibly strong team with unrivalled expertise across fintech, eCommerce and iGaming.
“We are thrilled that the Nigerian Government has made the decision to integrate our Sentinal System, empowering them to streamline online taxation. By understanding better how the payments ecosystem behaves and evolves, we can drive a paradigm shift towards a point of consumption tax methodology.
“This landmark deal will herald a new era in rapidly opening new regulated markets for responsible gaming operators, as grey market operating becomes increasingly problematic.”
Africa
Hub88 partners with LiveGames to enhance content offering
Hub88 has partnered with live casino supplier LiveGames, further strengthening its product offering by adding a unique range of content to its platform.
LiveGames provides fully customisable online live dealer games and branded tables including the first vertical roulette table in the sector, along with crash games and the widely played Tombola.
The supplier delivers experiences with a player-focused design, easy to use mobile interface, and high-resolution broadcasts.
The partnership will support LiveGames’ goal to further expand in international markets, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America where Hub88 has a strong presence.
The deal showcases Hub88’s commitment to grow its ecosystem of partners, offering a diverse portfolio of products and content.
Ollie Castleman, Head of Hub88, said: “We’re thrilled to unveil this strategic partnership with LiveGames which sees us add a great provider to our platform, one that utilises modern technology to offer bespoke and personalised gaming experiences to players.
“We are looking forward to collaborating and strengthening our content library with their diverse games.”
The LiveGames Team said: “Our journey started in a small studio and as a team, we are excited about now expanding to every corner of the world together with Hub88 and their extensive operator network.
“We are committed to promoting innovation in the industry and this partnership will support us on that mission.”
The post Hub88 partners with LiveGames to enhance content offering appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Africa
NE Group powers 888bets launch in Angola
NE Group, a leading B2B iGaming software supplier, has teamed up with online gambling operator 888 to launch 888bets for the Angolan market.
888Africa was originally set up to operate 888 brands in online betting and gaming markets across hand-picked regulated countries within Africa. Angolan sports bettors will now have seamless access to online sports betting through 888bets.co.ao
NE Group specialises in offering innovative, lightweight front-end solutions for best-in-class iGaming experiences. An extensive localised knowledge is the inspiration behind a platform that is renowned for flexibility and adaptation for unique African preferences. Together with 888, the platform delivers smooth gameplay across diverse data speed environments – essential for broad accessibility in Africa.
For the first time in the country, Angolan bettors will have the opportunity to experience the acclaimed Aviator crash-game on the platform. Additionally, the new site incorporates built-in features and tools for Responsible Gaming teams to monitor and support safe gaming practices
NE Group CEO Imran Bukhari said: “It’s brilliant to see the 888bets sportsbook launch in Angola to bring sports betting fans an experience they deserve. Our specialised sports betting platform and lightweight frontend solution for Africa allows 888bets to quickly scale.”
888bets added: “As a country with huge potential, we expect big things from our launch in Angola. Working with NE Group has enabled us to deliver an experience that sports bettors will love and that is enriched with engaging products.”
The post NE Group powers 888bets launch in Angola appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Africa
BMM Testlabs Continues Its Expansion in Africa with New Licenses in Botswana and Nigeria to Test Land-Based and Digital Products
BMM Testlabs (BMM; or the Company), the world’s original gaming test lab renowned for exceptional product compliance and certification services, today announced that it has been approved to provide compliance testing, inspections, and certification services for the African countries of Botswana and Nigeria.
The Botswana Gambling Authority and the National Lottery Regulatory Commission in Nigeria, the official gaming regulatory bodies in those states, granted BMM licenses for the land-based and digital gaming markets in the two African countries.
BMM, which opened its office in South Africa in October 2004, is now able to provide comprehensive compliance testing and inspection services for most regulated markets across Africa.
BMM`s Senior Vice President, Africa, Zeena Rossouw said, We are honored that the gaming authorities in Botswana and Nigeria have demonstrated their trust in BMM to license us for product testing and certification. As regulation gains momentum across the continent, the African gaming market offers even more promise for BMM. With a focus on safeguarding the African gaming industry and all its stakeholders, BMM looks forward to working with suppliers and operators to accelerate the deployment of new technologies and products.
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