Sports betting licences in Nigeria

Lagos State

The Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) says it "derives its powers from the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority Law, 2021."Source: Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority

It says it issues operating licences to gaming categories that include "Online Sports Betting".Source: Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority

Its page on checking a licence says: "Operating without an LSLGA licence is illegal in Lagos State."Source: Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority

The same page asks "Is a national licence enough to operate in Lagos State?" and answers: "No. An operator offering gaming services within Lagos State must be licensed by the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority."Source: Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority

Federal Capital Territory (Abuja)

The FCT Lottery Regulatory Office says it is "the official body responsible for licensing, regulating, and monitoring all lottery, sports betting, casino gaming, interactive gaming" and other activities within the Federal Capital Territory.Source: FCT Lottery Regulatory Office

Its enabling-laws page says it operates under "the enabling laws enacted by the FCT Administration". The page names no statute.Source: FCT Lottery Regulatory Office

Below its sports betting list the office says: "This List contains ALL Sports Betting Operators approved by the FCT – LRO. Any Operator not listed here is classified as an illegal operator."Source: FCT Lottery Regulatory Office

Its FAQ says: "Operating without an FCT-LRO license is illegal."Source: FCT Lottery Regulatory Office

The Supreme Court judgment of 22 November 2024

The cover of a registrar-certified copy of a Supreme Court of Nigeria judgment in suit SC/1/2008 reads "ON FRIDAY THE 22ND DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2024". The plaintiffs include the Attorney General of Lagos State and other state Attorneys General.Source: Supreme Court of Nigeria (certified copy hosted by the LSLGA)

Page 68 of the copy declares that "the National Assembly lacks the vires to legally and Constitutionally make any law to regulate and control the operation of lottery in Nigeria."Source: Supreme Court of Nigeria (certified copy hosted by the LSLGA)

Page 70 contains an order "nullifying the entirety of the National Lottery Act CAP N145, Laws of the federation of Nigeria."Source: Supreme Court of Nigeria (certified copy hosted by the LSLGA)

These pages speak of lottery. We have not read the whole judgment, and this page does not say that it covers online betting. We did not find the judgment on the Court's own website; the copy we read is hosted by the LSLGA.Source: Supreme Court of Nigeria (certified copy hosted by the LSLGA)

Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority

The LSLGA's page on checking a licence says: "Each entry in the register shows the operator’s company name, licence category and licence expiry date."Source: Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority

It adds: "If the expiry date has passed, the operator is not currently authorised to offer that gaming service in Lagos State until the licence is renewed."Source: Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority

The register page has the columns "Institution Name", "Trade Name", "Category ID", "License Start Date" and "License End Date". It shows no website addresses.Source: Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority

The LSLGA also publishes a list headed "LIST OF ILLEGAL/UNLICENSED GAMING COMPANIES IN LAGOS STATE". It quotes section 33(3) of the Lagos Law as providing that "a person without a subsisting licence or authorization from the Authority shall not conduct or operate any gaming activity in the State". We have not read the Law itself.Source: Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority

In a notice dated 18 September 2025 the LSLGA says a "blacklist" circulating in online publications is outdated and that "several of the operators mentioned have since regularised their positions with the Authority and are duly licensed to operate within Lagos State".Source: Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority

On 9 October 2026 the LSLGA register had 157 rows. The table keeps the 73 sports-betting rows, those whose category or group names sports betting, and leaves out the rest. The LSLGA list of unlicensed operators, read the same day, had 44 rows; the next section shows only the rows that match a sportsbook we profile.

FCT Lottery Regulatory Office

The approved-operators page has a table headed "Sports Betting Operators" with the columns "S/N", "NAME OF COMPANY", "NAME OF SCHEME", "VALIDITY" and "STATUS". It shows no website addresses.Source: FCT Lottery Regulatory Office

On 9 October 2026 the FCT LRO register had 98 rows. The table keeps the 26 sports-betting rows, those whose category or group names sports betting, and leaves out the rest.

Minimum age

A release of 6 November 2019 from the Lagos State Lotteries Board, hosted on the LSLGA site, appeals to the public "to sensitize and caution persons below the age of 18 (Eighteen) to refrain from betting in Lagos State." We did not read the Lagos Law's own age provision.Source: Lagos State Lotteries Board (release hosted by the LSLGA)

The FCT office says: "Operators must display ‘18+ Play Responsibly’ notices at all gaming points." Its guidelines say: "Underage gaming is strictly prohibited."Sources: FCT Lottery Regulatory Office; FCT Lottery Regulatory Office

Complaints

The LSLGA has an online complaint form headed "LODGE A COMPLAINT". Its complaint categories include "Unpaid winnings", "Bet dispute" and "Illegal / unlicensed operator".Source: Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority

The FCT office says consumers may submit complaints through its Complaint Portal or by email, that complaints are "acknowledged within 48 hours and typically resolved within 10 working days", and that anonymous complaints are accepted.Source: FCT Lottery Regulatory Office

Self-exclusion and help

In a post dated 31 July 2025 the LSLGA said it had "concluded plans to launch ‘SafePlay’, a regulatory self-exclusion tool". We did not check whether it is live.Source: Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority

The FCT office's guidelines say: "Platforms must include self-exclusion and spending limit features."Source: FCT Lottery Regulatory Office

Its FAQ says: "Players are encouraged to seek professional help or contact approved local counseling services". It names none.Source: FCT Lottery Regulatory Office

The Lagos and FCT pages we read name no gambling helpline. To raise a problem with an operator, use the complaint routes above.Sources: Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority; Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority; Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority; FCT Lottery Regulatory Office; FCT Lottery Regulatory Office

Advertising

The FCT office's gaming guidelines have a section headed "Advertising and Marketing Standards". It says: "Promotions must be pre-approved by the FCT-LRO before circulation." It also says all promotional and advertising activities must conform to the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) Act and the FCT-LRO’s Advertising Code of Conduct.Source: FCT Lottery Regulatory Office