Universal Licensing Pact Signed by FSGRN; NLRC Members Exempted from 2025 License Fees under New Agreement
Modernizing Gaming Regulation in Nigeria: An Interstate Revolution
May 7, 2025. In an historic gathering at the Radisson Hotel, Lagos, the Federation of State Gaming Regulators of Nigeria (FSGRN) has sealed the Subnational Reciprocity Licensing Framework, revolutionizing the gaming regulatory landscape across the nation. The meeting brought together representatives from various states to set the pace for a more coordinated and business-friendly gaming regulation system in Nigeria.
The new framework, which comes into effect on May 7, 2025, introduces a unified licensing system to govern Online Sports Betting, Online Casino, Public Online Lottery, and Promotional Competitions across all member states. The FSGRN's Chairman, the CEO of Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority, emphasized that the initiative symbolizes a commitment to ensuring true federalism, regulatory integrity, and economic pragmatism.
The core of this transformation is the “Universal Reciprocity Certificate” (URC), granting approved operators the power to operate in multiple states with a single license. The certificate necessitates that operators previously licensed by the disbanded National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) or respective states apply for a URC through the FSGRN Secretariat. The FSGRN, in a gesture supporting continuity, has offered a full waiver of 2025 license fees to these transitioning operators, provided they comply with the FSGRN's requirements. These operators must renew their licenses and pay applicable fees from January 1, 2026.
- **Discussions on the FSGRN Changes: **
- Olafadeke Akeju: Legal Adjustments in Nigeria's Gaming Sector (May 9, 2025)
- Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority MoU with TVC Communications (May 6, 2025)
- From Compliance to Innovation: Exploring Nigeria's Gaming Landscape (March 26, 2025)
- Mr. Bashir Are: "iGaming AFRIKA Choice Person of the Year 2024" (March 19, 2025)
The impetus for this framework follows the footsteps of numerous federal jurisdictions worldwide, such as the United States, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, India, and Botswana, which have established similar reciprocity-based or multi-jurisdictional licensing frameworks to foster coherent, cross-border gaming operations. Stakeholders, like Micheal Eja, Director General of the Cross-Rivers Lotteries and Gaming Agency, appreciate this collaboration as a long-awaited step to streamline processes without sacrificing oversight or accountability.
Key Executives Quotes
"The Universal Reciprocity Certificate signals the dawn of inter-state collaboration that has long been absent in our regulatory space. It underscores our shared commitment to building a more predictable gaming ecosystem with minimal regulatory burdens." — Micheal Eja, Director General of Cross-Rivers Lotteries and Gaming Agency
"The URC heralds a win for innovation, investment, and the rule of law. It'll foster a more vibrant and competitive gaming sector across states." — Olajide Boladuro, Oyo State Gaming Board
"The certificate replaces the confusion with clarity and consistency, ensuring that each state retains its constitutional authority to regulate gaming within its borders." — Lami Bello, Director, Emerging Tax Department, Taraba State Internal Revenue Service
The frame for a simplified, harmonized gaming landscape is now in place, paving the way for operators to propagate compliance standards, streamline reporting protocols, and expand within a system rooted in a spirit of cooperative state-led regulation. Operators with the new license will not only benefit from a broader market but also enjoy the advantages of a lawful, cohesive gaming environment.
Get prepared for streamlined gaming regulation and the new era of Universal Reciprocity Certificates. Applications are open through the Secretariat of the FSGRN.
Join us on Telegram:- Cross-Rivers Lotteries and Gaming Agency- Federation of State Gaming Regulators of Nigeria- Intercantonal Gambling Concordat- Interstate Treaty on Gambling- Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority- Lami Bello- Micheal Eja- National Lottery Regulatory Commission- Olajide Boladuro- Oyo State Gaming Board- Taraba State Internal Revenue Service- Universal Reciprocity Certificate
- The new Universal Reciprocity Certificate, introduced through the Subnational Reciprocity Licensing Framework, will govern sports betting, casino, lottery, and promotional competitions across Nigeria, offering approved operators the ability to operate in multiple states with a single license.
- The Federtaion of State Gaming Regulators of Nigeria (FSGRN), in a gesture supporting continuity, has offered a full waiver of 2025 license fees to operators transitioning from the disbanded National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) or respective states, provided they comply with the FSGRN's requirements and renew their licenses from January 1, 2026.
- The Universal Reciprocity Certificate initiative is inspired by the reciprocity-based or multi-jurisdictional licensing frameworks of numerous federal jurisdictions worldwide, such as the United States, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, India, and Botswana.
- The harmonized gaming landscape, rooted in a spirit of cooperative state-led regulation, will serve to streamline compliance standards, reporting protocols, and enable operators to expand within a lawful, cohesive gaming environment.
