Five Years on, Gamble Alert Sets Pace for Responsible Gaming in Nigeria

What started as a series of distress calls from punters to Fisayo Oke while he served as an officer of the Oyo State Gaming Board materialised into Gamble Alert and recently marked its five-year milestone, writes Iyke Bede

The occasion was commemorated with an elaborate ceremony at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, where he revealed the organisation’s roadmap for the next half-decade.

Oke’s vision for Gamble Alert was to follow a holistic path to players’ protection and industry sustainability by working with regulatory bodies and operators to strengthen regulatory commitment through training and advisory roles, revising regulatory policies, and providing counselling and education to young people. So far, 20 operators have integrated Gamble Alert’s support infrastructure into their own platforms, allowing visitors to access counselling and responsible gaming assistance directly through their websites.

“To an extent, working at the Board, I understood what the industry was about. I could explain the operations of things,” said Oke. “Also, I understood compliance, but what I couldn’t find was a Nigerian organisation solely dedicated to protecting players — an independent, structured responsible gaming non-profit like those operating in other jurisdictions.”

In the absence of any non-profit actively pursuing responsible gaming, Oke pivoted from regulation to pioneer the cause himself.

“So, I thought to myself, if there was no responsible gaming non-profit in Nigeria, then perhaps the responsibility was ours to create one. That’s our story: we don’t start with funds but with conviction,” said Oke.

Director-General of the Oyo State Gaming Board, Olajide Boladuro, lauded Oke’s vision and resilience, particularly as one of his protégés. He said:

“Fisayo’s journey as the CEO of Gamble Alert began under my leadership, during his time at the lottery board,” Boladuro explained. “I remember him as a young professional who was committed to getting things right—he carried himself with discipline and quiet determination.” 

He added, “To see him evolve into a leader of an organisation that now shapes conversation around responsible gaming, is something I do not take lightly. It gives me great pride. Institutions like his are built by people who show up every day.”

For the past five years, Gamble Alert has combed through 34 states of the country, collating data to conduct structured research on the scale and patterns of gambling harm at community levels. Similarly, it has taken its educational outreach program to South-West states like Lagos, Osun, Oyo, and Ogun.

To ensure Gamble Alert continues to operate with structure and professionalism, a board of trustees was established to provide oversight and strategic guidance. The board is led by the Chairman, a professor of Social Psychology at the University of Ibadan, Peter Olamakinde. Other members of the board include Group Head, Responsible Gaming, PawaTech, Olabimpe Akingba; Head of Legal, Easygo, Veronique Dos Reis; and Executive Director, Bet9ja, Alberto Cuomo. 

For the next five years, Oke simply said the organisation would “do more”. To fuel this vision and strengthen their presence in the sector, the organisation will, for the first time, open a physical Lagos office and equip itself with a branded outreach vehicle.

Oke also received words of encouragement from the Managing Partner of WYS Solicitors, Olafadeke Akeju, who continues her work as a legal practitioner at the private firm, a path with which he now shares a similar trajectory. She kick-started her career in the gaming sector at the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority, formerly known as the Lagos State Lotteries Board.

“I have watched you transition from regulation into responsible gaming. I remember the first time you mentioned you wanted to do this, and I told you that it wasn’t something you could combine; you would have to take a leap of faith. I am very proud that you took that leap, and to see what it has resulted in today,” said Akeju during her goodwill message.