The Benue State Government on Monday unveiled the State’s Sports Marketing and Lottery Board signage, projecting an annual revenue target of about N700 million from lottery activities as part of efforts to boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, the Commissioner for Sports, Youth and Creativity, Terkimbi Ikyange, noted that although the law establishing the board was enacted in 2017, its operations had remained largely ineffective until now.

He said the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia saw the need to reposition the board by appointing a new leadership with the expertise and capacity to drive revenue growth and ensure accountability.

Ikyange, a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, urged stakeholders and business partners to strictly adhere to due process in their dealings, warning that punitive measures would be applied to defaulters. He assured the board of the ministry’s full support in achieving its mandate.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Benue Sports Marketing and Lottery Board, Mr. Michael Uper, expressed confidence in the board’s ability to generate up to N700 million annually from lottery taxes.

He explained that each licensed location would pay N100,000 annually, with the process now automated through a partnership with Sentimental Payment Gateway, a London-based company that enables tax deduction at the point of transaction directly into the government’s treasury.

Currently, only BetKing and BetNaija are compliant with tax payments to the state, Uper disclosed, adding that the new system will put an end to operators evading or underpaying taxes.