AFRICA Online Focus


NIGERIA Te Supreme Court's November 2024 ruling nullified the National Lottery Act's regulatory power outside the Federal Capital Territory. Tis mean that states now have their own say on how to regulate lotteries and gambling independently. Te decision originated from a case going as far back as 2008 and was initiated by Lagos State. Even before the ruling the picture was a complex one. After initiating the suit, the Supreme Court on November 15, 2022 ordered that all other states of the Federation be joined as parties. Consequently, 21 other states aligned with Lagos State, while 14 states took sides with the federal government. After the decision Lagos State Commissioner for


Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, said the judgment was a historic victory for the rule of law, federalism and the constitutional rights of states. “Te Supreme Court’s decision is a significant affirmation


that the regulation of lotteries and gaming is a residual matter, falling within the purview of state governments. Tis judgment reinforces the principles of true federalism, empowering states to chart their path for effective regulation,” he said. While on the surface the Supreme Court decision may seem


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to create a more fractured regulatory framework for operators, as they will need to align with state laws, there is evidence to suggest that for online gambling at least, we might be beginning to see the emergence of a comprehensive set of rules and agreements between a number of states. Online operators had to negotiate both federal and state licencing rules before the Supreme Court decision anyway and the decision provides final clarity on how gambling should be regulated as it rules for once and for all that gambling falls under the purview of the states. Te Federation of State Gaming Regulators of Nigeria (FSGRN), which has its mandate to ensure effective regulation of gaming and lottery activities across Nigeria, has welcomed the decision arguing that other markets around the globe such as the United States, Canada, Germany, India, Australia, Switzerland, and South Africa, have “embraced cooperative solutions” and that Nigeria should do the same. In May 2025 the FSGRN officially signed the Subnational


Reciprocity Licensing Framework. Te new framework introduces a single, unified licensing process for operators across member states. To help cross border coordination the FSRGN has introduced a Universal Reciprocity Certificate


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