FCT LOTTERY REGULATORY OFFICE BEGINS OPERATIONS, DIRECTS FORMER NLRC LICENSEES TO REGULARISE STATUS

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The Federal Capital Territory Lottery Regulatory Office (FCT-LRO) has commenced operations as the regulatory authority responsible for overseeing, regulating and supervising gaming activities within the territory.

In a public notice issued by the Office of the Director-General, the FCT-LRO said the development followed 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, which clarified the constitutional position on the regulation of lotteries and gaming.

The office cited Section 299 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which gives the Federal Capital Territory a distinct constitutional status, with the National Assembly exercising legislative powers ordinarily vested in a state House of Assembly.

It said gaming operators conducting business within the FCT were required to comply with applicable licensing and regulatory requirements and engage with the office on regulatory matters.

On online gaming, the FCT-LRO said the Supreme Court judgment did not expressly settle the full regulatory framework or establish that any particular state had exclusive regulatory control over the online gaming market.

It maintained that the online gaming market remained open to operators and investors, who could choose the regulator from which to obtain licences or authorisations based on their business models, operational needs and preferred regulatory framework.

The office also cautioned against undue interference, intimidation or coercive treatment by any state regulator solely because an operator had chosen to obtain a licence from another regulator.

However, it noted that the online nature of a gaming platform did not automatically exempt operators from applicable licensing and regulatory obligations.

The FCT-LRO further directed gaming operators previously licensed by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) and currently operating or intending to operate within the territory to regularise their regulatory status.

It said unexpired NLRC licences would be recognised for the remainder of their validity periods and converted to corresponding FCT-LRO licences, subject to the prescribed regularisation process.

Affected operators are required to submit their former NLRC-issued licences for verification and documentation, complete the necessary procedures and obtain the appropriate FCT gaming licences.

The office directed all affected operators to begin the regularisation process within seven days of the publication of the notice.

It also released a list of operators recognised as licensed within the FCT and encouraged members of the public to verify the licensing status of gaming companies before using their services.

The recognised casino operators include 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 and Mobile Sports Limited.

Others are Spade Online Limited, AK Entertainment, Football Internet Ltd, Fortune House Network, PredictPro Gaming Limited, Deyplay Gaming and Sports Limited, Safitek Technologies Limited and Bet Afrik Limited.

The listed sports betting operators are KC Gaming Ltd, Sporty Internet Limited, SV Gaming Limited, Africlick Limited and Gorilla Games Bet Limited.

The office provided its address as 2B Embu Crescent, Ishaku Rabiu Estate, off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja.

It also released the telephone numbers +234 802 347 6076 and +234 813 052 5876, and the email address info@lro.abj.gov.ng for licensing applications, regulatory enquiries, compliance matters and official correspondence.

The FCT-LRO said it was committed to promoting responsible gaming, protecting consumers, strengthening regulatory oversight and creating a transparent and investment-friendly gaming industry within the territory.

All operators and stakeholders are advised to take note and ensure compliance.

APPROVED OPERATORS IN THE FCT

List of FCT-LRO Casino Operators

1. SV GAMING LIMITED

2. JARA INVESTMENT TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED

3. N1 INTERACTIVE AFRICA LIMITED

4. KC GAMING NETWORKS LTD

5. CHANNELS BET LIMITED