Mobile gambling not backed

By MARK HAIHUIE
GAMBLING services should not be offered on mobile networks, Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) commissioner and chief executive Paulus Ain, pictured, says.
He said offering of gambling services on mobile networks would require inter government agency cooperation to address this issue.
“The ICCC had previously looked into the issue of gambling services offered to customers through text messages”, Ain said.
He was responding to questions on the issue yesterday.
“For any gambling that should occur in any setting must be licensed by Gaming Control Board to do that.
“Several times we have handled this and said, look you (mobile network operator) are not entitled to do this.
“You only should be providing call services or internet services and what is prescribed under your licence.
“This has gone into hibernation mode until it has just been raised it again which is good. We will look at it again.
“That was our stance in the past but it has just gone dead.”
ICCC special projects officer Jacqueline Waffi highlighted that there was a need to address this in collaboration the National Information and Communication Technology Authority that had the enforcement power to deal with this matter.
Meanwhile, commenting on ExxonMobil’s acquisition of InterOil, Ain said ExxonMobil “will sit down again and talk” with ICCC on competition concerns.
This followed the Supreme Court of Yukon’s recent ruling approving the acquisition.
Ain said this was prompted by the commissions’ intent to announce findings from its independent investigation on the merger while stating that public would be updated soon on this.
“I think the most latest one was that the managing director (ExxonMobil PNG) came over and brought us up to speed on where they are and I think the court gave them the clearance and they have proceeded through with the acquisition,” he said.