Betting is legal in Nigeria, and Nigerian residents can safely and legally place sports bets at local retail and online bookmakers. The National Lottery Regulatory Commission and state boards directly oversee all gambling activities, issue licenses to eligible operators, and take action against unregulated bookies.
However, following a Supreme Court ruling in late 2024, the NLRC's nationwide authority has been invalidated, and licensing powers now rest solely with individual state governments.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the legal landscape of online betting laws in Nigeria. You’ll learn the difference between local and offshore sites, how betting licenses work, the risks of using unlicensed platforms, and how to confirm if a sportsbook is fully regulated.
The Legal Status of Betting in Nigeria
The National Lottery Act 2005 established the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) and legalised sports betting in Nigeria. Since then, only retail and online sportsbooks that hold a valid license are allowed to operate.
There are no betting licenses for individuals. Nigerian residents face no consequences if they decide to gamble offshore, but foreign bookmakers cannot operate or advertise their services in Nigeria before obtaining a license.
While the NLRC continues to function, its authority is now limited to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Licensing and enforcement are now handled by state-level regulators such as the Oyo State Gaming Board and the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA), who oversee all operators within their respective states.
To simplify the licensing process, 22 Nigerian states now recognise a single license called the Universal Reciprocity Certificate (URC). This allows betting sites to offer online sports, casino, and lottery games across all member states without requiring separate state approvals.
In other words, the old NLRC license previously granted nationwide access, but under the new framework, bookmakers must now be licensed by individual states, unless they hold a Universal Reciprocity Certificate (URC), which permits them to operate across all 22 participating states.
The Unified Subnational Reciprocity Licensing Framework
In November 2024, the Supreme Court overturned the 2005 National Lotteries Act (NCA). In one fell swoop, this decision recognised the authority of state governments to self-regulate their own legal gambling spaces, while diminishing the authority of the federal National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC).
In response, 22 Nigerian states have formed the Federation of State Gaming Regulators of Nigeria (FSGRN) and have introduced the Universal Reciprocity Certificate (URC).
This unified license allows approved operators to offer online betting services in participating states legally.
The URC framework has not been implemented nationwide yet, meaning that the NLRC and state-based licenses will continue to remain in effect until non-member states either join the FSGRN or establish their own updated licensing frameworks.
Timeline of Betting Regulation in Nigeria
The question of “Is betting legal in Nigeria?” is a bit more common than some may think. Nigeria has operated under a dual-legislation system, where the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) governed gambling at the federal level, while individual states have the power to pass their own betting laws, provided they don’t conflict with national legislation.
The introduction of the Universal Reciprocity Certificate reshaped this setup by allowing licensed operators to bypass fragmented state-by-state applications and legally operate in all 22 participating states under one unified framework.
Below is a brief timeline highlighting the key milestones in the development of betting regulation in Nigeria.
- 2005 National Lottery Law: The National Lottery Law set the legalisation of betting in motion. Even though it was originally designed to authorise the national lottery, it also paved the way for regulating other forms of gambling activities.
- 2007 National Lottery Regulation (NLR): The National Lottery Regulation is a major piece of Nigerian gambling-related legislation. It established the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), which has served as the national gambling regulator ever since.
- 2011 Money Laundering Prohibition Act: This act enforces stricter Anti-Money Laundering (AML) oversight and requires regulated bookmakers to conduct more comprehensive KYC checks.
- 2012 Lagos State Lotteries Board Begins Regulating Sportsbooks in Its Jurisdiction: Prior to 2012, all regulatory power was held by the NLRC. The LSLB took regulation to state level, and many others followed suit.
- 2020 Major International Sportsbooks Regulated in Nigeria: After 15 years of progress in the field of gambling regulation, major global brands like Betway entered the Nigerian market as licensed online betting sites.
- 2022 NLRC Launches National Premium Identity Verification Platform: With the rise of online gambling and increased fraud risks, the NLRC introduced the NPIVP, a federal identity verification system that strengthens standard KYC procedures. The platform uses real-time tools like facial recognition and biometric scanning to verify players in seconds, reduce duplicate accounts, and ensure full compliance with anti-money laundering laws.
- 2025 Subnational Licensing Framework and URC Introduced by FSGRN: After a 2024 Supreme Court ruling reduced the NLRC’s authority, 22 states joined together to form the Federation of State Gaming Regulators of Nigeria (FSGRN). They introduced the Universal Reciprocity Certificate (URC), which lets licensed operators legally run online sports betting, casino games, lotteries, and promotions across all member states with just one license
Who Licenses Betting Sites in Nigeria?
Nigeria permits licensed sportsbooks, regardless of whether they're operating as land-based gambling venues or online betting sites.
The National Lottery Regulatory Commission is still the federal authority, but it now plays a limited role in administration and oversight for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Sportsbooks that hold a Universal Reciprocity Certificate (URC) from the Federation of State Gaming Regulators of Nigeria (FSGRN) can legally operate in all 22 participating states under a single license. However, this arrangement is set to take full effect from 2026 onwards.
At the moment, bookies can operate across all of Nigeria with an NLRC license, or pursue licenses from state-based boards, commissions, and agencies, such as:
- Oyo State Gaming Board
- Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority
- National Lottery Regulatory Commission Abuja
- Cross River Lottery and Gaming Agency
- Benue State Sports Marketing and Lottery Board
- Edo State Internal Revenue Service
State-based regulators can only permit or forbid sportsbooks from operating in the state. For example, if a bookie holds a license with the LSLGA, it can operate in Lagos, but without the NLRC’s license, this bookmaker will be allowed to offer its services only in Lagos and nowhere else.
To obtain a national betting or lottery license from the NLRC, an operator must meet strict conditions, including:
- Own a registered Nigerian company with a minimum capital of ₦20 million
- Show proof of safe payment methods and data protection
- Present an accurate list of directors, important officers, and other staff members
- Provide a submission of business incorporation documents and yearly CAC returns
- Provide evidence of tax compliance
- Provide documentation on software certification and system quality assurance
The complete list of NLRC licensing requirements covers various other points across pre-license, operational, financial, and technical information. State regulators have their own licensing requirements, which typically revolve around similar key points:
- Proof of local incorporation
- Compliance with KYC and AML standards
- Secure payment methods in Nigerian Naira
- Responsible gambling tools
- Tax compliance
When it comes to offshore betting in Nigeria, foreign-operated gambling sites are overseen by non-Nigerian regulators, such as the United Kingdom's Gambling Commission (UKGC), the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), or the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA).
Are Offshore Betting Sites Legal in Nigeria?
Offshore sportsbooks are licensed by foreign regulators, but they’re neither fully legal nor outright illegal in Nigeria. Since they operate outside Nigerian jurisdiction, local consumer protection laws do not apply to them.
That said, Nigerian residents are not breaking any laws by placing bets with offshore bookmakers. In fact, several of these international betting sites also hold Nigerian licences alongside their foreign ones, meaning they’re fully authorised to operate both locally and globally.
Some international sites are licensed by credible authorities, such as the CGA, MGA, or the UKGC.
These regulators enable licensed sportsbooks to operate legally in multiple countries. However, your eligibility to use their platforms depends on the site’s Terms and Conditions and its list of restricted countries.
Some of the most prominent foreign online betting sites that accept Nigerian players are Campeonbet, Wazobet, 1xBet, Paripesa, 22Bet, and BC.Game.
However, some offshore sportsbooks use fake licenses. Make sure to check if the site you chose to bet on is truly licensed by the stated regulatory authority.
Can I Get in Trouble for Betting Online?
The short answer is no, Nigerian laws don’t target residents. You can legally bet at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, betting shops or online bookies, and you won’t get in trouble with the law.
However, it’s important to choose a safe and trustworthy site, especially if you’re using an offshore-licensed bookmaker. While you can legally bet at foreign-operated sites, you won’t be protected under Nigerian consumer laws if something goes wrong, like delayed payouts, frozen accounts, or disputes.
How to Check if a Betting Site Is Licensed in Nigeria
The only surefire way of making sure you’re betting at a licensed Nigerian sportsbook is to check if the license number advertised on the bookmaker’s site matches the number in the regulator’s database. Below are several tips to help you do this:
- Go to the bookmaker’s website. Scroll down to the footer (bottom of the page), or open the Terms & Conditions to look for the licensing information.
- Check the bookie’s website domain. Sites ending in .ng are Nigerian domains, which often means localised support for payments, customer service, and compliance with Nigerian regulations.
- Visit the official regulator’s website. Use the NLRC or the relevant state board’s database to verify the license number displayed on the site. If there’s a match, the operator is officially recognised.
- If the license number is missing from the registry, try entering the operator’s name into the regulator’s search tool, or contact the regulator’s support team for confirmation.
Legal vs Safe: What Really Matters
Licensing is arguably one of the most crucial aspects you should keep in mind when choosing a bookmaker. However, a valid license doesn’t guarantee that the sportsbook is actually good.
Some of the other factors you may want to consider include payout times, the availability of local payment methods (especially fintech-based ones like OPay, PalmPay, Flutterwave, or cryptocurrencies), the quality of the odds, the variety of sports markets offered, and many others.
You can learn more about what makes a good sportsbook, as well as discover how our team at SoccerNet Nigeria ranks online sports betting sites, on our “How We Rate” page.