The National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) has informed Ugandans who lost their money in the BLQ Sports SMC Ltd t/a BLQ Football Uganda scam that the organization was illegal and non-existent in the laws of Uganda.
Since Wednesday evening, BLQ started trending after the owners withdrew the servers, making Ugandans lose millions in cash.
These were betting at an explicitly abnormal profit, where one could win three times more than their stake.
After this incident where millions were lost, NLGRB has said that the company doesn’t exist.
“NLGRB has been drawn to a company trading as BLQ FOOTBALL Uganda on social media platforms such as Facebook, operating through the following URL: website (https://blq66.com/#/) on Facebook at https://facebook.com/groups/ugandablq/?ref=share) and Twitter https://twitter.com/BLQFootballClub,” the statement reads in part.
“BLQ has been conducting betting activities illegally without a license from the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board for the said activities,” it adds.
The National Gaming Board Uganda (NGBU) is a body corporate established under the Lotteries and Gaming Act No. 7 of 2016 which came into effect on 8th April 2016.
Section 4 of the Lotteries and Gaming Act, 2016 is mandated to issue licenses for Lotteries, Casinos, Gaming, and Betting in Uganda. The mandate includes Licensing, Supervision, Enforcement, and dispute resolution.
Upon investigation, the Board established that Acclaim BLQ Sports SMC Ltd t/a BLQ Football Uganda is operating illegal online gaming activities without a license.
“BLQ is using the gaming industry as a strategy to market its membership. It claims to be an investment company where members make money by recruiting people to join the BLQ Football Club platform,” reads part of the statement.
“We have alerted the Uganda Communication Commission and are also in receipt of a directive to MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda and other internet service providers to block this site from providing any gaming services to Ugandans,”
NLGRB has therefore been advised to refrain from dealing with unlicensed or illegal gaming operators who lure and defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
“The public is also advised to always verify the registration and license status of such companies and schemes before engaging with them. This information is listed on the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board website at www.lgrb.go.ug,” they said.
