Online Lottery in Nigeria: Who Licenses It and How to Check
Lottery licensing moved to the states in 2024. How to read the Lagos register, spot a lapsed licence and avoid operators on the unlicensed list.
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- Nigeria Casino Newsroom
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- Regulation / Guides
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- 4 min
Online lottery in Nigeria is now licensed by the states, not Abuja. The Supreme Court nullified the National Lottery Act 2005 on 22 November 2024, so an operator needs a licence from the state where it sells. In Lagos, the proof sits on the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) register. Before you stake a kobo, find the brand there and check that its licence end date has not passed.
Who licenses online lottery after the Supreme Court ruling
Lottery has been a state matter since the judgment of 22 November 2024, and the federal licence alone no longer carries an operator. LSLGA now cites the case in its own notices as Suit No. SC/1/2008.
Law firm Aluko & Oyebode reads the judgment to mean that operators holding only a National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) licence now require a state lottery licence. The handover is not uniform. In the Federal Capital Territory, the FCT Lottery Regulatory Office said NLRC licences remain valid until their expiration dates, as ThisDay reported in May 2025.
Lagos has also turned to the phone networks. An LSLGA public notice dated 12 October 2026 states that an NCC permit is not a gaming licence, and gives telecoms and value-added service (VAS) firms thirty days from the notice to fall in line.
Online lottery sites in Nigeria with a Lagos licence
The LSLGA register, headed "List of licenced operators in Lagos", keeps a separate Public Online Lottery category. As of October 2026 it shows these entries, among others, on the LSLGA list of licensed operators:
| Brand | Licensee | Licence starts | Licence ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baba Ijebu | Premier Lotto Limited | 15 October 2023 | 14 October 2028 |
| GD Lotto | Redstar lotus Nigeria Limited | 17 April 2024 | 16 April 2029 |
| Golden Chance Lotto | Winners Golden Chance Venture Limited | 22 June 2025 | 21 June 2030 |
| MLotto | Mobile Lottery Nigeria Limited | 15 July 2025 | 14 July 2026 |
The last row is the lesson. MLotto's listed term ended on 14 July 2026, so as of October 2026 the register shows a lapsed licence for it. A familiar name on the list is not enough. Read the end date.
How to check a lottery operator's licence yourself
A licence check takes a few minutes and uses only the regulator's own pages.
- Open the Lagos register and find the brand under Public Online Lottery.
- Match the licensee company name, not just the brand, to the operator's site or app.
- Compare the licence end date with today's date.
- Search the Lagos list of unlicensed operators. The authority has advised residents to desist from patronising the platforms named there.
- If you pay through airtime, SMS or USSD, remember that your network's NCC permit does not license the game.
- Outside Lagos, ask the state lottery regulator. In the FCT, an older NLRC licence counts until it expires.
Free lottery in Nigeria: the same check applies
A free lottery is only as safe as the operator behind it, so treat a free ticket or a no-stake draw exactly like a paid one. "Free" is an offer, not a licence: the brand running it should still appear on the state register with a live end date and stay off the unlicensed list.
Be most careful with free draws that arrive by SMS, on social media or through a short code. The telecom notice exists because games reach players through those channels, and a network's NCC permit does not make the game behind a short code legal.
Reader questions
Can you play Baba Ijebu online?
Baba Ijebu appears on the Lagos register as a Public Online Lottery run by Premier Lotto Limited, with a licence term from 15 October 2023 to 14 October 2028. That covers Lagos. In another state, check that state's regulator.
Which is the most trusted online lottery?
No regulator publishes a trust ranking. What it publishes is a register: a brand with a live licence from the state where you play has passed the regulator's test, and one on the LSLGA unlicensed list has not.
How to play Lotto online?
Pick an operator, then confirm it before you pay. Find the brand on the state register, match the company name, read the end date, and make sure it is not on the unlicensed list. Paying through airtime or USSD does not change who must hold the licence.
Also filed
Filed from these sources
- Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Licensed Gaming Operators in Lagos State, accessed 14 October 2026
- Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority, Unlicensed Gaming Operators in Lagos State, accessed 14 October 2026
- Nairametrics (reproducing LSLGA notice), Public notice on gaming licensing, tax compliance and facilitation of gaming services through telecommunications and VAS platforms in Lagos State, 12 October 2026
- Aluko & Oyebode, Supreme Court Landmark Ruling: Nullification of National Lottery Act 2005, 15 December 2024
- ThisDay, Lottery: Licences Granted by Defunct NLRC Remain Valid in FCT, 17 May 2025