What is the current state of gambling in Nigeria?

Do you know what brings together all those people around the globe? No, it’s not Coronavirus, but their love for the Internet. The Internet, that “entity” that allows us to watch endless hours of Netflix, talk with our loved ones that are stuck in quarantine too and discover some new filters on Snapchat. Fan of gambling?

Don’t you worry dear player, the Internet didn’t forget you and by surfing the industry’s sites, you shall find the best options for you.

Fan of kawaii slots with plenty of free spins? Take a look at these Japanese online gambling websites and see what you can discover! Do you want to play the latest pokies? Enter your favouriteonline casinos and have some fun! What about enjoying a promotion for referring one of your mates? Join that platform and remember to be gamble aware! No matter where you are from, you can go online and have a blast with modern games and great promotions. That includes you too Nigeria, the biggest economy in Africa and the country where gambling, online and offline, is in a grey area.

What laws regulate such activities?

The authorities that take care of all the measures regarding this area are the National Lottery Regulatory Commission and the Criminal Code Act where gambling is defined by Chapter 22. The gambling activities that are defined as legal are lotteries, land-based casinos and sports betting. Dice games, non-skilled card games and Roulette are illegal. Slots machines activity is also regulated by the law and only licensed operators can provide such services.

However, Nigerian measures do not affect online operators, so there are no restrictions if people would want to access local or foreign websites. But gambling sites must remember that the games they provide must be legal.

Three types of places where you can gamble

Nigeria allows only three categories of gambling establishments where you can have some fun: casinos, betting and pools and lotteries.

Casinos

Although is a large country, Nigeria has only three land casinos that are regulated by the law, one in Abuja and two in Lagos. Even though they are more accessible to locals, you will probably encounter many tourists and businessmen sitting at that blackjack table.

Betting and Pools Venues

Care for betting on your favourite football team? Go to the nearest venue, check the odds and place the best wager. The Criminal Code states that this kind of activities are allowed at the locale as long as this is the only form of gambling. In addition, all operators of such facilities must make use of an authorized totalizator for bets and winnings division.

Lottery

The majority of Nigerian lotteries are licensed by the Lagos State Lotteries Board. These lottery tickets can be sold directly to the public for charitable or fundraising purposes. Anyone caught trying to sell 3rd party tickets can face up to 6 months in jail and a 100 Naira fine.

It may seem that the players in Nigeria don’t have plenty of options when it comes to gambling. You can’t be more wrong because punters here can wager freely on online platforms that provide this kind of services.

What about online gambling?

As stated above, there is no specific legislation that regulates gambling activities offered on the Internet. Outside sports betting and lotteries, online casinos are not allowed to operate within Nigeria’s borders because they cannot be licensed. But since there is no mention of online wagering in any law, it’s presumed legal by residents and state officials.

While online casinos find themselves in an ill-defined situation, sports betting is a big business in Nigeria. This type of platforms offers a wide variety of betting markets, mobile accessibility, lines and odds on local and foreign sports and withdrawals in Naira. So, there is no wonder that there are more than 50 betting sites within the country.

Local online operators must walk on eggshells to make sure that they obey the law and also see some profitable results. On the other hand, Nigerian players turn to offshore gaming platforms where they can find slots, table games, live casino, bingo, scratchcards and many other fun titles. Besides that, many platforms that accept gamblers from Nigeria provide Naira as currency for deposits and withdrawals.

What could be improved?

Your first answer to this question may be “well, everything” and we couldn’t agree more. First thing first, the Nigerian government must update the laws to create a well-regulated iGaming sector. Besides that, other features can contribute to the development of online gambling:

• Mobile optimization: Modern online casinos must be created to function on a smaller screen and provide products that can adapt to this interface.
• Reliable payment methods: Digital banking options like Paystack, Flutterwave and Quickteller become more and more popular. It’s definitely a plus to provide these methods as a newly launched online casino.
• Investors: Foreign businessmen are more interested in the iGaming scene in Nigeria. These companies can bring tax revenue to the state, which is a reason to celebrate.

The current state of gambling in Nigeria is not ideal, but the government must consider taking some measures. Revising the gambling laws to allow online platforms to be legal can be a plus for Nigeria. This way, the players wouldn’t turn to foreign websites anymore and the economy could record impressive growth.

Source: tribuneonlineng.com

About Post Author

Iwo Bulski

Issues related to the gambling business is engaged in more than 30 years. My empirical experience gives me the opportunity to present events and companies from this business with full knowledge and industry knowledge.

See author's posts

Iwo Bulski

Issues related to the gambling business is engaged in more than 30 years. My empirical experience gives me the opportunity to present events and companies from this business with full knowledge and industry knowledge.