22nd June, 2011
The executive of the Lagos State Pools Agents Association, LASPAA, has insisted that achieving sanity in pools business in Lagos State must begin with a round table discussion by the stakeholders in the business.
President of the association, Major Sammy Ogunyebo (retd.) said that a tripartite meeting between officials of the Lagos State government, representatives of pools promoters and the executives of LASPAA should be called to resolve the logjam that has been threatening to tear the business apart.
According to Sammy, it is imperative for these stakeholders to meet, discuss and agree on how to solve the problems of odds payment and high commission in the market.
“There is need for us to meet, the government, promoters and the agents. It is at the meeting that everybody will table the problem as it affect its members. My appeal is that this meeting must be called before the end of the ongoing Australian Season because we ought to have solved all the problems we are facing before the new English Season will kick off,†said Sammy.
“The odds payment has to be fixed to 1-14 as stipulated in the Lagos State Government Edict, 15-16 half payment, 17 and above quarter payment. We don’t want 4-1. High commission in the market must be stopped, promoters should hands off their betting shops to the agents for proper monitoring and control. This is the best way to organise pools business in the state so that all operators will benefit. The government itself will be happy for it because we will have the chance to pay for the licence and taxes with ease. The promoters themselves will have something to fall back on after paying the winnings of the stakers,†he added.