For years, “licensed by the NLRC” was the only badge Nigerian bettors checked before signing up. That badge stopped meaning what it used to on 22 November 2024, when the Supreme Court ruled that gaming regulation is a state matter, not a federal one — and it is why the best betting sites in Nigeria today are the ones that can show a valid state licence, not just an old federal number still sitting in a website footer.
This guide breaks down what changed, which regulators now actually matter, and — bookmaker by bookmaker — which licences BetKing, SportyBet, Melbet and 1xBet currently hold, since several of them now carry more than one.
Why a Nigerian Licence Looks Different in 2026
The ruling came in Attorney-General of Lagos State & Ors v. Attorney-General of the Federation & Ors (Suit No. SC/1/2008), a unanimous seven-justice judgment with Justice Mohammed Baba Idris delivering the lead opinion. The Court held that lottery and gaming activity were never on the Exclusive or Concurrent Legislative Lists, meaning the National Assembly had no constitutional power to regulate gaming in the 36 states through the National Lottery Act 2005 in the first place.
The practical effect: the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) keeps existing, but its authority now runs only inside the Federal Capital Territory. On 14 May 2025, the FCT Lottery Regulatory Office (FCT-LRO) formally took over day-to-day regulation there, carrying forward licences already issued by the NLRC as valid within Abuja. Outside the FCT, each state is now free to run its own regime — and several already were, years before the ruling made it official.
Who Actually Regulates the Best Betting Sites in Nigeria Now
- FCT Lottery Regulation Office (FCT-LRO) — Abuja only; absorbed the NLRC’s remaining national licences.
- Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) — the most established state regulator, operating under the LSLGA Law 2021; issues separate Sports Betting, Casino, Lottery, Gaming Machine and Pool Betting licences.
- Oyo State Gaming Board (OYSGB) — regulates sports betting, pools and lottery in Oyo State under the Oyo State Gaming Law 2018; publishes its own list of licensed brands.
- Other states (Rivers, Ogun, Plateau, Anambra, Osun) are building out similar frameworks, at varying speeds.
Since October 2026, the LSLGA has pushed this harder than most: a public notice gave telecoms and value-added-service providers 30 days to verify that any gaming brand on their networks holds a valid LSLGA authorisation, and separately declared Stake.com’s Lagos operations unlawful after what it described as repeated unregistered activity. None of this is tax guidance — for Nigeria’s gambling tax rules specifically, that sits outside what this page covers.
Licence-by-Licence: Which Nigerian Bookmakers Hold What
This is the part most comparison sites skip. Post-ruling, several operators didn’t swap one licence for another — they stacked several at once, which is exactly why the table below lists more than one licence for some names.
| Bookmaker | Licences held (as reported) | App & markets |
|---|---|---|
| BetKing | LSLGA (Online Sports Betting/Casino) + Oyo State Gaming Board + FCT-LRO + Anambra & Osun state licences | Native app, retail shops in Lagos/Abuja, deep football & local market coverage |
| SportyBet | LSLGA-registered; older NLRC permit now legally limited to the FCT | Mobile-first app, slim interface, football-heavy markets |
| Melbet | NLRC-origin licence (Otrada Hospitality Limited) + LSLGA registration | Full web platform and app, broad sports + casino markets |
| 1xBet | LSLGA-registered (1XBET.NG); NLRC-origin licence number disputed across sources | Large sports catalogue, web and app access |
BetKing Nigeria: The Widest Licence Footprint
BetKing is run by SV Gaming Limited (RC 1419108), part of the KingMakers group — in which MultiChoice holds a 49% stake. Of the four bookmakers compared here, BetKing carries the broadest paper trail: it appears on the LSLGA’s own register with an Online Sports Betting/Online Casino licence, on the Oyo State Gaming Board’s published operator list, and on the FCT-LRO’s approved list with separate betting and casino authorisations. It also holds licences from the Anambra State Gaming Company and Osun State. Some licensing trackers cite specific LSLGA licence numbers (00000006 and 00000008) for the sports and casino categories — treat those as reported rather than independently confirmed against the primary register. For the full breakdown of payments and markets, see our BetKing Nigeria review.
SportyBet Nigeria: Mobile-First, State-Registered
SportyBet’s Nigerian operation is tied to the Sportech/Marawin corporate structure. Its older NLRC Permit 0001014 still appears in some of its own marketing materials, but under the post-ruling framework that number’s legal scope is now confined to the FCT. Licensing trackers also list an LSLGA registration for the brand — a reminder that, for any state outside Abuja, the state licence is the one that actually matters today. SportyBet’s app stays deliberately light, built around fast football markets rather than a sprawling casino lobby; a full profile is on our SportyBet bookmaker page.
Melbet Nigeria: One Clean Licence, Plus a Second Layer
Melbet’s Nigerian licence traces to Otrada Hospitality Limited (RC 1589556) — a licence number that, unusually for this market, is cited consistently across independent sources rather than in three different formats. It also shows up alongside BetKing, Betwinner and SportyBet among brands carrying active LSLGA registration in the current licensing cycle, meaning Melbet now effectively covers both the old NLRC-origin basis and the new state-level one. A secondary casino licence number circulating on some review sites remains unconfirmed. Full detail in our Melbet Nigeria review.
1xBet Nigeria: Big Brand, Messier Paperwork
1xBet’s Nigerian entity, branded 1XBET.NG, appears on the LSLGA’s own list of currently licensed operators — the clearest point in its favour. Where it gets murkier is the older NLRC-origin licence: at least three different number formats circulate across review sites, and sources disagree on whether the Lagos state licence or a federal one is the controlling document post-ruling. We state that conflict rather than pick a number to assert as fact — the same approach we’ve taken on other contested Nigeria licensing claims. Full breakdown in our 1xBet Nigeria review.
Betwinner: A Case Study in Licence Stacking
Betwinner isn’t reviewed separately on this site yet, but it’s worth a mention here because it shows just how far licence stacking has gone. Its Nigerian entity, Advanced Hospitality Ltd (RC 1497320), is tied to NLRC Permit 0001023 — an operator-stated figure appearing in its own site footer. Licensing trackers also place Betwinner among the brands with active LSLGA registration for the current cycle, and separately cite an Oyo State Gaming Board licence (OYSGB/CASB/24021). Three potential layers of authorisation on one brand is no longer unusual in this market — it’s close to the norm for any operator trying to stay compliant across more than one state.
Checking Welcome Offers the Right Way
Licence status doesn’t tell you anything about what a sign-up offer actually pays out, and wagering requirements on “free” bets vary a lot between these four brands. If a welcome bonus is part of your decision, compare the real terms — not just the headline number — in our Nigeria no-deposit and free bet bonus guide before registering anywhere.
How to Check a Licence Yourself Before You Register
Three checks take less than five minutes and catch most of the confusion this market currently has:
- If you’re in Lagos, cross-check the brand against LSLGA’s own public register of licensed operators rather than trusting a footer badge alone.
- If you’re outside Lagos or the FCT, check whether your state has its own gaming board yet (Oyo and a growing number of others do) — coverage is still patchy nationwide.
- Treat any licence number you can’t verify against the regulator’s own list as unconfirmed, not as proof of anything either way.
None of this requires legal training. It just means checking the regulator’s list instead of the operator’s own claim — a habit worth keeping as more states roll out their own frameworks through 2026 and into 2027. For the fuller picture of how we rank and compare bookmakers across the continent, see our Best Bookmakers hub.
Thabo Ndlovu is a passionate sports analyst with extensive knowledge of African football, sports betting trends, and online bookmakers. He covers major leagues, betting tips, match predictions, and responsible betting for sports fans across Africa.
