The National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) has taken steps to counter the ‘confusion’ that arose in the country’s betting market due to a recent announcement by the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA).
The LSLGA update, released last week, included a roster of 43 operators that the state regulator claimed had been accepting bets in Lagos State without the requisite license.
The authority urged consumers in the state to cease betting with these companies.
Federal-licensed betting companies
However, the NLRC, in its announcement, has clarified that 20 out of the 43 operators listed as ‘unlicensed and illegal’ by the LSLGA are federally licensed and thus legally authorized to operate throughout the country.
These 20 licensed firms are Zebet, Betika, Gobet, Msport, Afribet, Bangbet, Betwazobia, Korebet, 22bet, Paripesa, LiveScore Bet, Blavkbet/Betty Bingo, CloudBet, Hallabet, N1bet, Konfambet, Scratch2Win, Naijabet, Lottomania, and Millionaire Powerplay.
According to the national regulator, the LSGLA statement from last week has “confused within the Nigerian gaming industry, and the Commission has been inundated with requests regarding the status of the operators labelled as ‘unlicensed and illegal’.”
The Commission concluded its statement by expressing regret for any misunderstandings that the unfortunate publication may have caused for national gaming licensees operating within the legal framework in Nigeria.
It should be noted that several operators listed by LSLGA, including most lottery operators mentioned and some prominent betting entities like Sportsbet.io, have not been addressed in NLRC’s clarifying statement.
Backstory
Nairametrics earlier reported a notice from the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) wherein they listed 43 betting companies that were operating without a license in the state.
The LSLGA noted that regulation of betting companies falls under the purview of state governments as cited by the constitution.
