The Lagos State Government has faulted the National Assembly over the proposed Central Gaming Bill, warning that its passage would violate the Nigerian Constitution and a subsisting Supreme Court judgment.
Addressing a press conference in Lagos on Wednesday, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), described the move by the National Assembly as “a voyage of unconstitutionality.”
According to a report by the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, the Central Gaming Bill, 2025, was presented for concurrence during Senate plenary on October 7, 2025.
The bill seeks to establish a national regulatory framework for online and remote gaming, replacing the repealed National Lottery Act of 2005. If passed, it would regulate online gaming operations across all Nigerian states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
However, legal experts and state officials argue that such nationwide regulation exceeds the National Assembly’s constitutional powers.
In November 2024, the Supreme Court nullified the National Lottery Act of 2005, ruling that the National Assembly lacked authority to legislate on gaming for states outside the FCT.
The seven-member panel held unanimously that the Act could only be enforced within the Federal Capital Territory, where the federal legislature has jurisdiction.
Pedro stated that the National Assembly cannot directly overturn a Supreme Court judgment.
“While the legislature may indirectly nullify a judgment by amending the underlying law, that underlying law in this case is the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he explained.
He noted that the Constitution has not been amended to include lottery, gambling, or gaming under the exclusive legislative list.
“The Central Gaming Bill, as currently drafted, directly conflicts with the Constitution and a binding Supreme Court judgment on the subject,” he said.
Pedro added that, as of now, the National Assembly is legally empowered to legislate on gaming only for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The Lagos Attorney General warned that proceeding with the Central Gaming Bill would have serious legal consequences.
“It would amount to legislating in defiance of a binding Supreme Court decision, which represents the highest expression of contempt of court,” Pedro cautioned.
The Central Gaming Bill aims to centralize regulation of Nigeria’s fast-growing online gaming industry under a single federal framework. However, many states—led by Lagos—insist that gaming regulation is a residual matter, reserved for state governments under the Constitution.
The brewing dispute underscores a broader federalism debate over who controls emerging sectors such as gaming, betting, and digital entertainment in Nigeria’s evolving digital economy.
