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The debate over Nigeria’s Central Gaming Bill has reignited deep political and legal tensions. What began as a push for unified regulation is now being described by critics as a challenge to the constitution itself.
Lawmakers reopen an old wound
A revived federal gaming proposal has brought back a battle many believed was already settled.
The Coalition of Good Governance (CCG) has condemned the National Assembly for reintroducing the Central Gaming Bill, which aims to place all games of chance under federal control. During a recent media briefing, the group described the move as reckless and unlawful.
Their outrage stems from a Supreme Court ruling in 2024, which struck down the National Lottery Act of 2005 and declared that only state governments have the authority to regulate gaming and lottery activities. The court’s judgment was meant to settle the issue once and for all.
Yet the House of Representatives has continued to push for a similar law, arguing that a central body is needed to manage the fast-growing gaming industry.
Critics accuse the Assembly of defying the court
Civil groups say lawmakers are overstepping their powers and undermining the rule of law.
CCG leader Comrade Nelson Ekujumi did not hold back. He said:
“Once the court has made a decision on a subject, it becomes final and binding on all persons and authorities – including the executive and the legislature.”
He questioned why the National Assembly would “illegally and unconstitutionally rewrite the law,” calling the move “a direct attack on the rule of law.”
Ekujumi’s warning was clear. If the Senate proceeds, he said, it would amount to “brazen defiance of judicial authority.”
Lawyers say the argument for federal control falls flat
Legal experts argue that the proposed bill misunderstands what the law already covers.
According to Obinna Akpuchukwu, senior partner at Allen & Marylebone, the bill’s justification for federal oversight has no legal foundation. Speaking to iGB, he said,
“The Central Gaming Bill, if passed into law will be unconstitutional.”
He explained that both online and land-based activities already fall under the definition of “lottery” in the now-nullified National Lottery Act. The Supreme Court, he said, never separated the two.
Akpuchukwu noted:
“In other words, the provisions of the nullified National Lottery Act cover land-based, online and remote gaming activities and the Supreme Court did not make any distinction between land-based gaming and online/remote gaming activities.”
Constitutional change may be the only way forward
Experts suggest that the only legal solution lies in amending the constitution.
Akpuchukwu referred to the Attorney General of Lagos State vs Attorney General of the Federation case, in which the court ruled that gaming and lottery fall under Residual Matters. This means they are subjects that only state governments can legislate.
He remarks that if the National Assembly wants to create a central regulator for online gaming, it must first amend the constitution, or otherwise, any attempt to pass the bill will be invalid, and the Supreme Court will likely strike it down again.
For now, the country’s lawmakers face a difficult choice.
Should they push forward with a bill the courts have already rejected, or begin the long process of constitutional reform to bring the gaming industry under a single authority?
Source: iGB
