Lukman Iyke Bede delves into the complaint of an aggrieved punter, Issa Lukman, who is insisting on receiving an outstanding balance of N13 million despite entering a full and final payment agreement with Bet9Ja several months ago

Issa Lukman, a disgruntled punter who placed a bet on the Bet9JA platform, has resurfaced online, accusing the betting company of withholding his entitlement. This comes after Bet9JA paid him N3 million from his N16 million winnings several months ago.

Lukman, on Sunday, September 10, 2023, visited a Bet9JA shop located at 20 Shadare Compound, Iddo, Lagos, to place a total of 37 games played over several days, hoping to win despite such high odds. He staked N1,000 on ticket B928CTTCZSPWRE-10675073 to cash out the sum of N16,705,938.18.

At the end of the final game, he discovered he had won and proceeded to the shop, but only to be told the ticket had already been cashed out days earlier by another person, who apparently had an identical ticket. Perplexed by the development, he visited the sports betting platform’s head office to make a complaint.

By October 5, 2023, N3 million was transferred to his account by one Bamigbade Gbenga through a Providus Bank account. Currently, Lukman expects the remainder of his winnings to be paid, rallying netizens to his aid.

“I visited Bet 9JA shop located at No. 20, Shadare Compound, Iddo, Lagos State, (and) placed a bet with ticket number B928CTTCZSPWRE-10675073 and won the sum of N16,705,938.18 (sixteen million seven hundred and five thousand, nine hundred and thirty-eight naira and eighteen kobo) and the amount has been paid into my bank account. That I have settled with the defendant amicably,” said an affidavit dated September 10, 2023, and sworn by Lukman at the Chief Magistrate Court of Lagos shared with GAMING WEEK.

The affidavit suggested that the individual in question had previously resolved their issue with the defendant in an amicable manner after receiving payment. Although it did not expressly state N3 million, the affidavit confirmed he was paid in full without detailing how they reached an amicable agreement.

To delve deeper into the matter, we sought clarification from Adewale Akande, the Head of Legal at Bet9Ja, to understand why Lukman is now insisting on receiving the outstanding balance of N13 million despite several months’ passage.

“The guy was supposed to win N16 million, but while the game was still running, the cashier who had originally printed an original ticket and a ‘second’ original ticket—I don’t know how that is possible. Only those in operations would know—gave it to her boyfriend, and the boyfriend came to claim a cash-out,” Akande revealed.

He added, “The ticket was sent to the agent who unknowingly approved it, and they cashed out N1.7 million. Unfortunately for them, probably because they have been doing this for a long time, the game was a winning ticket. The customer came to collect his winnings, and of course, he’s entitled to his winnings. It was at that point they discovered the ticket had already been cashed out.

“So when they did the investigation, they discovered it was the cashier in connivance with her boyfriend. The two of them were picked up by the police and transferred to Panti (State Criminal Investigation Department), detained, and arraigned before the magistrate court a few weeks ago.”

Considering the punter’s predicament, which was neither Bet9JA nor the punter’s fault, both parties entered a settlement agreement.

Akande elaborated that the customer reached a compromise agreement with Bet9JA, and they paid him N3 million. He then undertook to collect the sum of N3 million as the full and final payment of his winnings.

The court case involving the unnamed cashier and her boyfriend is currently underway.