Nigerian court dismisses bettor’s claim over platform glitch funds
The Kogi State High Court ruled that funds credited during a betting platform malfunction were not legitimate winnings and ordered repayment of withdrawn funds.
Nigeria.- The Kogi State High Court has dismissed a bettor’s lawsuit against a sports betting company, in which he sought more than ₦180m (US$135,215) in alleged winnings after a technical glitch inflated the balance of his betting account.
In a judgment delivered in Lokoja on October 14, 2026, Justice Moses M. Gwatana also ordered the bettor, Isah Alih, to refund ₦4.5m (US$3,380) withdrawn from the account during the malfunction. The court further awarded ₦150,000 (US$113) in general damages against him and imposed post-judgment interest at 10 per cent per annum until the judgment sum is fully paid.
The dispute arose from a technical fault on the operator’s betting platform around September 10, 2025. The malfunction reportedly caused customers’ account balances to increase when they initiated certain transactions, including withdrawals and bet placements, instead of deducting the corresponding amounts.
According to details released by the operator’s legal representatives, Allen & Marylebone, the glitch affected multiple customers, with some account balances reportedly rising to hundreds of millions of naira. Alih was among the affected customers, and his betting account balance allegedly rose to more than ₦190m (US$142,728) during the incident. He subsequently withdrew ₦4.5m (US$3,380), which was credited to his bank account. After discovering the malfunction, the operator corrected the system, reversed the erroneous credits, and restored the affected accounts to their proper balances.
Alih challenged the reversal in a lawsuit filed at the Kogi State High Court in Lokoja on October 14, 2025. He sought more than ₦180m (US$135,215), arguing that the sum represented valid winnings from his betting account. He also claimed ₦100m (US$75,119) in general damages and ₦50m (US$37,560) in exemplary damages.
The operator contested the claim and filed a counterclaim seeking to recover the ₦4.5m (US$3,380) Alih had withdrawn during the incident. The court dismissed Alih’s case in its entirety and ruled in favour of the operator on its counterclaim.
