Nigerian Regulators Declare Stake.com Unlawful in Lagos and 24 Other States

Gaming regulators in Nigeria have declared Stake.com an unlicensed operator in Lagos and 24 other states, while warning banks, payment providers, advertising platforms and influencers against facilitating the betting company's activities.

The Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA), working with the Federation of State Gaming Regulators of Nigeria (FSGRN), has declared Stake.com's gaming operations unlawful in Lagos State and across the federation's 24 other member states.

According to the regulators, Stake currently holds no valid licence from the LSLGA or any FSGRN member state. They also allege that the operator failed to register its activities, declare its operations and remit applicable monthly gaming taxes and levies despite receiving at least ten formal compliance notices over the past two years.

The action goes beyond a warning to the operator itself. LSLGA and FSGRN said enforcement may also target Stake's directors and companies or individuals facilitating its activities, including banks, payment service providers, fintech companies, advertising platforms and influencers. The public has been advised to stop wagering through Stake and use operators licensed in their respective states.

Cross River State has separately issued its own notice confirming that Stake is currently unlicensed there and urging residents to stop using the platform. The state regulator said enforcement action would also extend to entities supporting the operator's activities.

The legal background is particularly important because gambling regulation in Nigeria changed significantly following a Supreme Court ruling in November 2024. The court struck down the application of the federal National Lottery Act across the 36 states and ruled that lotteries and games of chance fall under the legislative authority of individual states. The Federal Capital Territory remains subject to federal legislative powers.

That ruling means an offshore or international betting company cannot rely on a single federal authorisation to operate throughout the country. State licences are required in the jurisdictions where gambling services are offered, making cooperation between state regulators increasingly important for nationwide online operators.

Stake has a major international presence in online sports betting and casino gaming and operates in a number of regulated markets. However, the Nigerian regulators' action shows the growing pressure on international operators to comply with increasingly decentralised African licensing and tax regimes. Stake declined to comment when approached by industry publication iNTERGAME about the Nigerian action.

The case could also become an important test of Nigeria's post-2024 regulatory structure. If state authorities succeed in restricting payment processing, advertising and other services around an unlicensed operator, enforcement could become significantly more effective than simply blocking a gambling website. For other international betting companies, the message is clear: access to Nigeria's large betting market increasingly depends on state-level licensing, tax compliance and cooperation with local regulators.