Having a thorough understanding of the regulatory landscape in Nigeria is crucial for business success, yet it's often one of the most challenging parts of setting up a business. Depending on the industry, obtaining specific licenses and business permits in Nigeria is not only necessary for compliance but also builds trust with clients and partners.
This guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of
essential licenses and business permits to maximally operate in Nigeria.
Understanding these requirements can reduce delays, avoid fines, and
support a smoother operation for businesses in Africa's most populous
nation.
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Procedure
For Obtaining A Sports Betting Licence In Nigeria
Sports betting is regulated at the federal and state government
levels in Nigeria. The type of sports betting activity a company
wants to carry out will determine where the licence or permit
can be obtained.The National Lottery Regulatory Commission
(NLRC) empowered by the National Lottery Regulations 2007 (as
amended) and National Lotteries Act 2015 is the regulatory
agencyat the national level and otherstate lotteries board and
equivalent state municipal laws like the Lagos state Lotteries
Law 2004 and Lagos state Lotteries Board (LSLB).
The categories of licences or permits granted by the NLRC
include; lottery licence, sports betting licence and promotional
lottery licence. This article focuses on procedure for the grant
of a sport betting permit.
Licencing Procedure:
Application Stage: A
proposal is to be submitted to NLRC together with the necessary
documents including:
a completed NLRC application form;
an application letter stating the intention of operating a
sports betting company;
a non-refundable application fee of N2,000,000;
company incorporation documents;
evidence of trademark registration; and
evidence of registration with the Special Control Unit on Money
Laundering.
Presentation and Review Stage:
The applicant will be invited to make a presentation to the NLRC
to justify the grant of the sports betting licence. This takes
place with 10 working days after the end of the application
stage
Provisional Approval stage:
This is valid for 90 (ninety) days, subject to the fulfilment of
the financial requirements and the following conditions which
includes:
where the Company has foreign ownership and directors, evidence
of proper immigration documents and registration with the
Nigerian Investment Promotions Commission (NIPC);
connection of your online betting platform to NLRC monitoring
and reporting platform; and
Copies of duly executed service level agreement with third party
provider.
Final Approval stage:
The NLRC will issue a final licence upon the expiration of the
provisional approval period.
Remote Operator Permit
The applicants are remote Operators if they:
1. Operate gaming
business outside Nigeria
2. Seek to provide facilities for gaming in Nigeria Online
If you already have a valid gaming licence issued by a foreign
gaming regulator (your ‘Primary Licence') and wish to legally
offer your services to players in Nigeria, you are required to
apply for a Remote Operator Permit, which is valid for Five (5)
Years.
In order to be granted a Nigerian Remote Operator Permit, you
will need to successfully complete the National Lottery
Regulatory Commission (NLRC) Permit Approval Process.
The Nigerian Remote Game Operator is expected to adhere to the
Permit Terms and Conditions as issued by the NLRC. These Terms
and Conditions are subject to amendment from time to time to
ensure consistency with the evolving dynamics of gaming and
international best practices.
The Nigerian Remote Operator Permit will:-
Allow you to advertise Online Gaming Services to players in
Nigeria including the publishing of print media in Nigeria
subject to the advertising conditions
Allow you to offer the following online games to players in
Nigeria namely: casino games, bingo, slots, sports betting, and
poker.
Exempt you from any requirement to set up a local subsidiary of
your business in Nigeria provided you complete a Non- Residence
Registration Request to the Federal Inland Revenue Service of
Nigeria (FIRS) which can be completed through the Dedicated
System;
Allow you to utilize payment services made available via the
Dedicated System;
Allow you to fully repatriate your revenue/funds from Nigeria
provided that tax due and payable on player deposits has first
been settled through the Dedicated System to the NLRC and to
FIRS.
Allow you to subscribe to affiliate programs Any company interested in operating a sports betting business in Nigeria must apply and obtain a national sports betting license together with a gaming licence in the certain state it wishes to operate in.
Fill our application form:
https://forms.gle/
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