Criminality has no place within progressive communities.  To that we are saying, NO to illegal devices as we pursue our mantra that says ”Lotteries and Gaming Board Promoting Fair Gambling” which dovetails into the thinking that ‘what you believe in, always say it as loud as you can.’ This is what we are doing today.

 There is no fairness that comes with smuggling unapproved gambling devices that have no integrity and to that our position is clear, ladies and gentlemen.  We will descend heavily on such errant citizens who seek to cause unnecessary haemorrhage to our economy, promote money laundering and deflate all efforts towards attainment of the 2030 National Vision.

Ladies and gentlemen, we all have a role towards attainment of the Upper Middle-Income Status as espoused by the Head of State.  Any Illegality that derails efforts towards attainment of our National Priorities is thus condemned.  We all say NO, Put the right foot down and ensure perpetrators are dealt with, no matter who they are or their status in life.  We need to work together ladies and gentlemen as we seek to better the livelihoods of our people – “nyika inovakwa nevene vayo” – This is not through criminality or illegality.  Progressive citizens should always seek to join hands and denounce, deplore any activities that are not progressive to the ideals of the nation.  As a nation, let us be motivated by the view that “iwe neni tine basa”.  This obviously speaks to progressively contributing each in his own way.

As we seek to engage in a transformative gear in order to improve the status of our industry, allow me ladies and gentlemen to say: we inevitably need sufficient calories of interest and commitment to come together and destroy all mechanisms and criminal tendencies within the gaming industry.

The attitude to deal effectively with illegality within our industry is about all of us – the operators, the regulator, law enforcement and indeed the players, who need a fair Return to Player.  If we do not reconfigure, realign our attitude we will choke off all prospects for sustainable economic growth.  We will fail to improve the livelihoods of our people at a critical moment when the Head of State is advancing the need not to leave anyone behind.  Once our attitude is suspect then we will only promote ‘the vicious cycle of gambling’.  Gambling and gambling, no decent wins hence submerge into pain and poverty.  This we can avoid ladies and gentlemen, but instituting appropriate interventions such as knowing our clients and their spending patterns.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have the power to rise as an industry.  It takes none but ourselves – Bob Marley says ’none but ourselves can set ourselves free’.  We need to play the black and white of the piano to produce the type of music that will excite the ear.  Steam does not drive an engine unless it is confined.  Applying ourselves will find ourselves rewrite our script, because we need to elevate our game to world standards.  Ladies and gentlemen, let us share a unique strength and conviction within our bone and nerves and declare that illegality in all its forms has no place within our industry.

 My appeal to all of you, ladies and gentlemen is to be on the lookout of such devices and raise the red flag.  We cannot have unscrupulous, by night operators reaping our punters of their hard-earned dollar in anticipation of a fair Return to Player yet that will remain a goose chase.

I thank you, ladies and gentlemen.