Liberia Broadcasting System Faces Senate Probe Over Alleged Gambling Deal
The Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) has come under scrutiny after Bomi County Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe petitioned the Senate to investigate reports that a portion of the state broadcaster’s compound was being used by a private gambling company, Blue Star Hi Tech Liberia.
In his formal communication, Senator Snowe described the allegations as “morally troubling” and raised concerns that the presence of gambling activities within the LBS compound would undermine the broadcaster’s credibility and public service mandate. He claimed to have received photographic evidence suggesting that part of the facility had been made available to the company, and warned that such an arrangement could expose the institution to ethical and reputational risks.
“There is a place and time for everything, but the LBS can’t and should not be a place to entertain an advanced ghetto,” Snowe said, adding that casinos are often associated with “excessive smoking, drinking, and all sorts of illegal things.”
The senator called for a full probe to determine whether LBS had entered into any agreement, formal or otherwise with the gaming operator.
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LBS Rejects Claims of a Gambling Center on Its Premises
In a response issued on November 12, the Liberia Broadcasting System firmly denied the existence of any agreement to establish a gaming center at its Paynesville headquarters. According to the statement, Blue Star Hi Tech Liberia had only requested temporary access to the LBS Theater to conduct daily live draws.
LBS explained that the request was granted as part of a broader revenue-enhancement strategy, and because hosting the draws on-site would reduce the daily cost of transporting technical equipment and staff to the company’s Sinkor facilities.
“The decision to allow the company’s live draw to be carried out from the LBS Theater was based on a management strategy to reduce the daily cost of transporting technical equipment and manpower,” the statement noted.
Management stressed that no formal contract, lease, or memorandum of understanding exists between LBS and Blue Star Hi Tech Liberia to establish or operate a gaming center at the compound. The broadcaster described the situation as a misunderstanding of a limited, operational arrangement that never extended beyond the use of its theater for live draw recordings.
