The Lagos State Government has approached Nigeria’s Supreme Court to seek permission to start contempt proceedings against the National Assembly. This follows the Assembly’s advancement of the Central Gaming Bill, despite a standing court ruling declaring such legislation unconstitutional.
In a motion filed by Attorney-General Bode Olanipekun (SAN), Lagos is requesting authorization from the Supreme Court to issue Form 48, a legal notice served to any party alleged to be disobeying a court order. The state argues that the National Assembly’s ongoing discussion of the Bill violates the Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling, which confirmed that lotteries and online gaming fall under state jurisdiction, not federal authority.
Court documents show that the disputed sections of the proposed law closely resemble the now-invalid National Lottery Act of 2005. This includes definitions of “lottery” and “online gaming,” along with provisions that would allow the federal government to issue licenses and collect revenue from operators. In November 2024, a seven-member Supreme Court panel led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji unanimously struck down the National Lottery Act.
The court ruled that the National Assembly lacked the constitutional power to regulate lotteries and games of chance outside the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), classifying these matters under the Residual Legislative List, which gives exclusive control to state Houses of Assembly. Meanwhile, financial regulators estimate that over 60 million Nigerians around a quarter of the country’s 240 million population place bets worth about $5.5 million daily on various gambling platforms.
Lagos officials argue that the National Assembly’s renewed efforts to pass a centralized gaming law “openly defy the authority of the court” and threaten Nigeria’s delicate federal balance. Legal observers note that if the Supreme Court grants Lagos’ request, it could set an important precedent for enforcing judicial authority and protecting state autonomy in Nigeria’s growing gaming and lottery sector.
Source: tribuna.com
