Nigeria’s Kano state closes 30 betting shops in major anti-gambling operation

Kano state’s Shariah police, known as Hisbah, has intensified its crackdown on gambling by closing down 30 betting shops in a recent raid. 

Mujahid Aminudeen, deputy chief of the Hisbah, explained to the BBC that the crackdown was triggered by complaints from community leaders and parents, who raised concerns about the growing number of gambling addicts in the region. 

The first day of raids focused on a suburb in Kano city, the capital of Kano state and the economic hub of northern Nigeria. Hisbah officers targeted betting shops that were operating illegally, as many had obtained licenses for video game centers but later converted them into sports betting outlets. Hisbah has warned that stricter enforcement will follow in Muslim-majority areas, where Sharia law is applied, while Christian neighborhoods remain unaffected.

Kano state, alongside 11 other northern Nigerian states, adopted Sharia law in 2000. Under Islamic law, gambling, like alcohol, is prohibited as a sin according to the Quran, specifically in Chapter 5, verse 90. While it is unclear what penalties violators will face, fines are a common punishment for such offenses.