Issa Lukman, a disgruntled punter who placed a bet on the Bet9JA platform, has resurfaced online, accusing the popular betting company of withholding his rightful winnings. Lukman claims that despite entering into a full and final payment agreement with Bet9JA several months ago, he is yet to receive the outstanding balance of N13 million.
The controversy began on Sunday, September 10, 2023, when Lukman visited a Bet9JA shop located at 20 Shadare Compound, Iddo, Lagos, to place a bet on 37 games spread over multiple days. With high odds, he staked N1,000 on ticket B928CTTCZSPWRE-10675073, hoping to cash out a substantial sum of N16,705,938.18.
To his surprise, upon the conclusion of the final game, Lukman discovered that his ticket had already been cashed out by another person who apparently had an identical ticket. Perplexed by this turn of events, he lodged a complaint with Bet9JA’s head office to address the issue.
In October 2023, Bet9JA transferred N3 million to Lukman’s account through a Providus Bank account, acknowledging their liability. Lukman now seeks the remaining N13 million, urging the public to support his cause.
According to an affidavit dated September 10, 2023, and sworn by Lukman at the Chief Magistrate Court of Lagos, he stated, “I visited Bet9JA shop located at No. 20, Shadare Compound, Iddo, Lagos State, placed a bet with ticket number B928CTTCZSPWRE-10675073 and won the sum of N16,705,938.18. That I have settled with the defendant amicably.” The affidavit indicated that the issue had been amicably resolved without specifying the amount of N3 million received or the details of the agreement.
To shed light on the matter, Adewale Akande, the Head of Legal at Bet9JA, explained the sequence of events. He revealed that during the game, the cashier, who had printed an original ticket and a second original ticket, gave the latter to her boyfriend. The boyfriend then cashed out N1.7 million, unaware that the ticket was a winning one. When Lukman came to collect his winnings, the discovery was made that the ticket had already been cashed out.
Akande further disclosed that an investigation revealed the collusion between the cashier and her boyfriend. Both individuals were subsequently apprehended by the police, detained, and arraigned before a magistrate court.
In light of the circumstances, a settlement agreement was reached between Bet9JA and Lukman. Akande stated, “The customer reached a compromise agreement with Bet9JA, and they paid him N3 million as the full and final payment of his winnings.”
The court case involving the cashier and her boyfriend is currently ongoing.
As the dispute continues, Lukman insists that Bet9JA honor the remaining balance of N13 million, while the betting company faces mounting criticism for the handling of the situation. The outcome of this case will undoubtedly have implications for the reputation and integrity of Bet9JA in the highly competitive sports betting industry.
