The Federal Capital Territory Lottery Regulatory Office (FCT-LRO) has officially commenced full business operations as the designated regulatory authority responsible for overseeing, regulating and supervising gaming activities within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The notice, issued by the Office of the Director-General, serves as a public directive to gaming operators, industry stakeholders and the general public to align their operations with the new regulatory framework.
Regulatory Jurisdiction
The constitutional basis for the FCT's regulatory role stems from the Supreme Court judgment in Attorney-General of Lagos State & 21 Others v. Attorney- General of the Federation & 15 Others, Suit No. SC/1/2008. By virtue of Section 299 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the FCT holds a distinct constitutional status, with the National Assembly exercising legislative powers ordinarily vested in a State House of Assembly. Consequently, gaming operators conducting business within the FCT are required to comply with applicable FCT licensing and regulatory requirements and engage directly with the FCT-LRO on all regulatory matters.
Online Gaming Operations
The FCT-LRO clarifies that the Supreme Court judgment did not expressly settle the full regulatory framework applicable to online gaming. In particular, the judgment did not establish that any one State has exclusive regulatory control over the online gaming market. As a result, the online gaming market remains open to operators and investors. Operators are free to choose which regulator they wish to obtain their gaming licence or authorisation from, based on their business model, operational needs and the regulatory framework they consider most suitable. This choice may be exercised without undue interference, intimidation or coercive treatment by any State regulator solely because an operator elected to obtain its licence from another regulator, since every state is duly empowered to regulate gaming activities within its relevant jurisdiction.
Operators are, however, reminded that the online nature of a gaming platform does not, in itself, exempt an operation from applicable licensing and regulatory obligations where such obligations arise. The FCT-LRO remains committed to providing a transparent, consistent and predictable regulatory environment for digital gaming operations within the Federal Capital Territory.
Notice to Former NLRC Licensees
All gaming operators previously licensed by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) who are currently operating, or intend to operate, within the Federal Capital Territory are hereby required to approach the FCT-LRO to regularise their regulatory status. The office further clarifies that any NLRC licence that remains valid and has not expired will be recognised for the remainder of its validity period and converted to the corresponding FCT-LRO licence. Holders of former NLRC licences will retain the benefit of their unexpired licence terms, subject to the regularisation process prescribed by the FCT-LRO. Affected operators are required to present and hand over their former NLRC-issued licences for verification and documentation, complete the applicable regularisation procedures and obtain the appropriate FCT gaming licence.
All affected operators are required to commence the regularisation process within seven days of publication of this notice.
Recognised FCT-LRO Operators
For public awareness and regulatory transparency, the following operators are currently recognised as licensed operators within the FCT:
Casino Operators: SV GAMING LIMITED, JARA INVESTMENT TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED, N1 INTERACTIVE AFRICA LIMITED, KC GAMING NETWORKS LTD, CHANNELS BET LIMITED, INFINITY MOBILE GAMING & ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED, GALAXY INTERNATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT CITY LIMITED, LOTWIN GAMING LIMITED, 29 TECHOPS LIMITED, SPADE ONLINE GAMING NIGERIA LIMITED, SPORTY INTERNET LTD, MOBILE SPORTS LIMITED, CHANNELS BET, SPADE ONLINE LIMITED, AK ENTERTAINMENT, FOOTBALL INTERNET LTD, FORTUNE HOUSE NETWORK, PREDICTPRO GAMING LIMITED, DEYPLAY GAMING and SPORTS LIMITED, SAFITEK TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED, BET AFRIK LIMITED.
Sports Betting Operators: KC GAMING LTD, SPORTY INTERNET LIMITED, SV GAMING LIMITED, AFRICLICK LIMITED, GORILLA GAMES BET LIMITED, FOOTBALL INTERNET LIMITED, JARA INVESTMENT TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED, WINIT LIMITED, BRANDSTAR LIMITED, CHANNELS BET LIMITED, MOBILE SPORTS LIMITED, FIRST EQUITY GLOBAL INVESTMENT LIMITED, AK ENTERTAINMENT, PESACH GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, 29TECHOPS LIMITED, SOKABET DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED, SKYTECHOPS NIGERIA LIMITED, EUROMATCH NIGERIA LIMITED, LUCKY9JA LOTTO LIMITED, PREDICTPRO GAMING LIMITED, DEYPLAY GAMING and SPORTS LIMITED, FANE INTERNATIONAL SPORTS TOUR LIMITED, FAVOURBET LIMITED, JOLLYBET LIMITED.
Lotto Operators: LUCKY9JA LOTTO LIMITED, DERBY LOTTO LIMITED, YELLOWDOT AFRICA NIGERIA LIMITED, INTERNATIONAL GAMING & ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED, MORRICH LOTTO LIMITED, EMERALDS DISTRIBUTION LTD, FIRST EQUITY GLOBAL INVESTMENT LIMITED.
Interactive Gaming Operators: GOLDEN HONEY BADGER, VDL TECHNOLOGIES, ZNL GAMING LIMITED, GOLDEN LOFT LIMITED, WHOT STUDIOS LIMITED, HEMINGWAY TECHNOLOGY LIMITED, LOTWIN GAMING LIMITED, 29 TECHOPS LIMITED, SPADE ONLINE GAMING NIGERIA LIMITED, SPORTY INTERNET LTD, MOBILE SPORTS LIMITED, CHANNELS BET, SPADE ONLINE LIMITED, AK ENTERTAINMENT, FOOTBALL INTERNET LTD, FORTUNE HOUSE NETWORK, PREDICTPRO GAMING LIMITED, DEYPLAY GAMING and SPORTS LIMITED, SAFITEK TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED, BET AFRIK LIMITED.
Members of the public are encouraged to verify the licensing status of gaming operators before engaging their services.
Official Contact Details
All licensing applications, regulatory enquiries, compliance matters and official correspondence should be directed to the FCT-LRO through the following channels:
Office Address: 2B Embu Crescent, Ishaku Rabiu Estate, Off AminuKano Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja.
Telephone: +234 802 347 6076 / +234 813 052 5876
Email: fct-lro@fct.gov.ng
The FCT-LRO reiterates its commitment to promoting responsible gaming, protecting consumers, strengthening regulatory oversight and fostering a transparent and investment-friendly gaming industry within the Federal Capital Territory. All operators and stakeholders are advised to take note and ensure compliance.