Lagos Govt Cautions National Assembly On Proposed Gaming Bill

Lagos State authorities has cautioned the National Assembly against proceeding with the projected Central Gaming Bill, informing that the authorities is unconstitutional and violates a binding Supreme Court judgment.

The state’s attorney-general and commissioner for Justice o, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), stated this astatine a property league successful Lagos. Pedro described the measure earlier the Senate for concurrence arsenic a “voyage of unconstitutionality” that risks plunging the state into a law crisis.

The Bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Repeal the National Lottery Act No. 7 of 2005 and the National Lottery (Amendment) Act No. 6 of 2017, and to Enact the Central Gaming Bill to Regulate the Operation and Business of All Forms of Online and Remote Gaming Across the Geographical Boundaries of the Federating Units and Beyond the Borders of Nigeria”, seeks to centralise the regularisation of gaming, betting, and lotteries nationwide.

Pedro, flanked by the state’s commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, reminded the lawmakers that the Supreme Court had already settled the substance successful Suit No. SC/1/2008 – AG Lagos & 22 Ors v. AG Fed & Ors, wherever it held that lotteries, betting, and gaming autumn wrong the legislative competence of states, not the Federal Government.

Quoting the apex court’s judgement delivered connected 13th October 2024, the Lagos Attorney General stated, “Lotteries, betting, gaming, and immoderate different games of accidental are residual matters falling wrong the exclusive legislative competence of the states, but successful the Federal Capital Territory.

He besides cited circumstantial portions of the judgement successful which the Supreme Court ruled that the National Lottery Act of 2005 was enacted ultra vires the National Assembly, declaring it unconstitutional and nullifying it.

According to him, immoderate effort to reintroduce akin authorities nether a caller name, specified arsenic the projected Central Gaming Bill, would magnitude to “legislating successful defiance of a binding Supreme Court decision, the highest look of contempt of court.

“Once the Supreme Court has decided connected a subject, peculiarly nether the Constitution, it becomes last and binding connected each persons and authorities successful Nigeria, including the Executive and the Legislature.”

Pedro further explained that the Supreme Court’s ruling had permanently restrained the national authorities and its agencies from regulating lotteries and gaming crossed the states, making the substance “forever settled” unless the Constitution itself is amended.

He added, “Some proponents of the Bill reason that it lone targets online gaming, but my question is, does ‘online’ mean ‘federal’? Whether a lottery summons is sold physically oregon via mobile phone, the enactment remains a crippled of accidental wrong the state’s jurisdiction.”