Lagos Gov’t Alerts Public Over 26 Illegal Gaming Operators

The attention of Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) has been drawn to the activities of some organizations conducting gaming operations in Lagos State without obtaining the prerequisite licenses from LSLGA and thereby in contravention of Section 33(3) of the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority Law 2021 which provides that ‘a person without a subsisting licence or authorization from the Authority shall not conduct or operate any gaming activity in the State”. The erring organizations/ gaming operators are listed below:

ZEBET, MOZZARTBET, GOBET247, AFRIBET, BESTBET360, MAXBET, OGABET, PARIPULSE, BANGBET, PARIPESA, HALLABET, NAIRAMILLION, BLACKBET/BETTYBINGO, N1BET, ELLIESLOTTO, HELABET, BETBABA, OYAWIN, SKY247, 25LOTTO, MAXBET247, FOOTBALL.COM, BETCORRECT, LIVESCOREBET, CONFIRMBETS, LOTTOMANIA

Kindly be informed that the Lagos State Government derives powers to regulate Lottery and Gaming from the Section 4 (7) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). This position has been established and elucidated by several judicial decisions.

In the case of Edet v Chagoon (2008) 2 NWLR (PT. 1070) 85 at p108, the Court of Appeal held that:

“Pools betting and Casino Gaming do not appear in either Part 1 (Exclusive Legislative List) or Part II (Concurrent Legislative List) of the second schedule to the 1999 constitution. Not being an item in the Exclusive Legislative List or in the Concurrent Legislative List and not matters incidental or supplementary to the execution of any of the powers in the Exclusive Legislative List or even the Concurrent Legislative List, pools betting and casino matters are residual matters.”

and further interpreted in the case of Attorney-General, Plateau State v Goyol (2007) NWLR (Pt. 1059) 57 at 92.
The Court held further that…. “Therefore the power of the state Government to legislate on a given matter must be traceable to the body of the Constitution, either the Exclusive Legislative List or the Concurrent legislative List or Residual List and any legislation on a matter outside the ambit of the said Constitutional provisions is null and void. This is amplified by the provisions of Section 1 (3) of the Constitution, which provides as follows: “if any other law is inconsistent with the provisions of this Constitution, this Constitution shall prevail, and that other law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency be void”.

Please also refer to Suit No. SC/27/2009 between Attorney General of Lagos State v. National Sports Lotteries Ltd & Anor, 2023 NWLR Part 1899 page 399 where the Supreme Court held that where the question is whether the Respondents can lawfully carry out the business of Lottery in Lagos State without complying with the Lagos State Lotteries Law, 2008, the Court of competent jurisdiction will be the State High Court. The Court also stated that the issues for determination are not within the Exclusive legislative list of the National Assembly to restrict the State High Court from adjudicating over it.

Additionally, the judgement of the Federal High Court, Ibadan in Give ‘N’ Take Limited vs Oyo State Gaming Board and AG of Oyo State, which was delivered on the 23rd of July 2020 in Suit No. FHC/IB/CS/133/2018 held that the:

“Oyo State Gaming Law 2018 is not subject to the provisions of the National Lottery Act and that an operator must register and obtain from the Oyo State Gaming Board, a lottery licence in order to carry out lottery or gaming business within Oyo State”.

Please note LSLGA takes a strong stance against illegal and unlicenced gaming operations in Lagos State and is committed to enforcing to the fullest extent of the Laws of Lagos State. Therefore, onshore and offshore operators are strongly advised to formalize their gaming operations by obtaining an operating licencee from the Lagos State government. Failure to do so will be considered a violation of the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority Law 2021, and these operators will be subject to prosecution under both Nigerian and international laws.

The public is hereby advised to desist and/or discontinue from staking/betting on the platforms of the above-listed gaming operators as they are deemed illegal and unknown to LSLGA, and their gaming activities are against the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority Law 2021.

The Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) wishes to reaffirm its commitment to regulating and promoting the Gaming industry in Lagos State to ensure that the interest of all stakeholders is adequately protected.