The decades-old debate and tussle between the Federal and State Governments on the extent of regulatory powers over gaming and lottery in Nigeria was recently settled in Attorney-General of Lagos State v Attorney-General of the Federation.. TheSupreme Court clarified that gaming and lottery activities do not fall within the Exclusive or Concurrent Legislative Lists of the 1999 Constitution, hence remain under the legislative competence of the states pursuant to Section 4(7) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999) (as amended).
In response to this clarification and the consequent invalidation of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission’s (NLRC) authority outside the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Federation of State Gaming Regulators of Nigeria (FSGRN)established the Universal Reciprocity Licensing Framework(URL Framework). Following discussions among representatives of its member states, the FSGRN adopted the Framework on 7th May 2025.