Lagos casino and sportsbook operators have been placed on notice to get their houses in order, as several High Court judgments have been handed down. Join us as we go inside the story to get all the intricate details and more.
Lagos’ betting operators have been handed a clear warning after the state’s High Court backed the powers of the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) in three separate cases.
The June judgments confirmed that operators serving customers in Lagos can legally be required to hold a state licence, pay the relevant fees and levies, and hand over financial records for inspection.
One of the cases also addressed an important question for online gambling: whether an operator can avoid Lagos regulation simply because it’s based elsewhere. The court’s answer was an emphatic no!
The LSLGA brought proceedings against Zegaming Nigeria Limited, Africa Betting Company Nigeria Limited, and Mozzartbet Services Limited, claiming the companies had provided betting and gaming services in Lagos without the required state licences.
The first two cases resulted in judgments against the operators, with the court ordering them to obtain LSLGA licences, settle outstanding fees and levies, provide financial records, and stop operating until they complied with the law.
The rulings also backed the Authority’s ability to collect gaming levies and the Good Causes Levy, while giving it powers to inspect operators’ records.
The Mozzartbet case was perhaps the most significant of the three, proving that even with the latest technology, mistakes can happen.
The operator challenged the Lagos court’s jurisdiction, arguing that it did not operate within Lagos and questioning whether the state’s gaming laws applied to its business. Justice A. M. Ipaye rejected that argument.
The court found that because Mozzartbet’s betting services were accessible to customers in Lagos, its activities fell within the scope of the state’s gaming law. That means an operator cannot necessarily sidestep Lagos regulation simply by keeping its offices or technical infrastructure elsewhere.
The operator was ordered to obtain an LSLGA licence, pay outstanding fees and levies, submit its financial records, and stop operating until it complied. It was also ordered to pay ₦500,000 in costs.
These decisions strengthen the LSLGA’s position as it continues to tighten oversight of the Lagos gaming market.
The Authority has said that accepting wagers from Lagos residents brings an operator within its regulatory jurisdiction, regardless of where its offices or servers are located. That could have wider implications for online betting companies serving one of Nigeria’s biggest gaming markets.
The rulings also arrive as the LSLGA updates its regulatory framework. In July, it announced revised technical certification requirements covering gaming operators and B2B providers, alongside a six-month transition programme.
The Authority has also stepped up enforcement against unlicensed operators, identifying 59 companies it said were conducting gaming activities without the necessary approvals.
For operators, the message from the courts is becoming harder to ignore: serving Lagos customers means playing by Lagos’ rules. And for players, a safer, more accountable betting market benefits everyone in Lagos. As is the case in Nigeria generally, the rules are tightening, and there’s no room left for operators to wing it.
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