Nseobong Okon-Ekong writes on some of the plans that are expected to materialise in the Nigerian gambling industry in 2025 Emergence of states’ gaming regulators The emerging giant in the Nigerian Lottery regulatory space is the Federation of States Gaming Regulators of Nigeria (FSGRN). The umbrella body of states’ lottery regulators is led by Bashir Are, MD/CEO of the Lagos State Lottery and Gaming Authority. The body became an impactful force in the enduring effort, leading to the determination of who has regulatory jurisdiction over the lottery business in Nigeria by the Supreme Court in November 2024.
The apex court’s annulment of the National Lottery Act 2005 effectively ended the reign of federal government-controlled organs to administer lottery operations in Nigeria. The court ruled that control of lottery activities was within the purview of state governments. In 2025, FSGRN is expected to unveil its plans for a seamless lottery regulatory regime embraced by member states, allowing the distribution of income from lottery activities to states on a pro rata basis.
Fate of NLRC, NLTF Following the Supreme Court judgment of November 2025 annulling the 2005 National Lottery Act, the operations of what used to be the apex regulatory body in the lottery industry, the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) and its sister agency, the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF) have been limited to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Some of the immediate fallouts include.
