Enugu Gaming Commission Backs Opposition against Central Gaming Commission Bill

By Nseobong Okon-Ekong 

The Enugu State Gaming and Lotto Commission (ESGC) has thrown its full support behind the Federation of State Gaming Regulators of Nigeria (FSGRN) in rejecting the proposed Central Gaming Bill (HB.2062).

The commission stresses that the Bill contradicts the 1999 Constitution and the Supreme Court judgment of November 2024, which reaffirmed lotteries and gaming as residual matters reserved exclusively for state governments.

ESGC’s position was made known in a statement issued by the agency’s Public Relations Officer, Nwanneka Udeh, in Enugu on Tuesday.

“The Central Gaming Bill is unconstitutional and a direct encroachment on state powers. Enugu State has invested in building a credible regulatory system for licensing, taxation, and responsible gaming oversight. Any attempt to centralise gaming regulation would undermine state sovereignty and deprive us of critical revenues,” the Executive Secretary/CEO of ESGC, Prince Arinze Arum, said.

Throwing light on ESGC’s opposition to the Bill, the statement added, “The Supreme Court has confirmed that lotteries and gaming fall under state legislative competence, not the National Assembly. Centralising regulation would strip states of vital internally generated revenue streams.

“The Bill undermines Nigeria’s federal structure and fiscal federalism. The National Assembly’s role in gaming should be limited to the Federal Capital Territory only. The Enugu State Gaming Commission stands with other state regulators in defending the constitutional order. Our position is clear—lotteries and gaming belong under state jurisdiction, and the Senate must reject this unconstitutional Bill.”

It added, “The Enugu State Gaming Commission calls on the Senate to reject the Central Gaming Bill (HB.2062) and uphold the Supreme Court’s binding judgment, thereby safeguarding state autonomy and the integrity of Nigeria’s federal system.”