Confusion arises amid disagreement between Nigerian gambling regulators

The National Lottery Regulatory Commission has contradicted a warning about illegal operators issued by the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority.

Nigeria.- The rivalry between Nigeria’s National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) and the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) in the country’s capital continues to cause confusion for the regulated gambling sector.

The LSLGA last week published a list of 43 operators it says were taking bets illegally. It warned customers not to place bets with the operators. However, the NLRC has responded to clarify that 21 of these operators have federal gambling licences, which are valid across the entire country.

It says that Betika, Gobet, Msport, Afribet, Bangbet, Betwazobia, Korebet, 22bet, Paripesa, LiveScore Bet, Blavkbet/Betty Bingo, CloudBet, Hallabet, N1bet, Konfambet, Scratch2Win, Naijabet, Lottomania, Millionaire Powerplay and Zebet all have NLRC-issued licences.

The national body said the LSGLA had “created confusion in the Nigeria gaming industry” and that it had been “inundated with requests on the status of the operators tagged ‘unlicensed and illegal’.”

Last year, the Nigerian federal government successfully defended a lawsuit to confirm the NLRC’s status as the sole gaming regulator in the country, dismissing complaints from Lagos and other state governments. It was hoped that the result could end arguments among bookmakers and state governments over multiple taxation.

In November, Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Service signed an agreement with fintech company E-Technologies Global to help it modernise its tax collection system as part of efforts to attract gaming operators. Through a managed service using E-Tech’s Sentinal National Payment Gateway, integrated payment providers were to be instructed to deduct taxes at the point of transaction.