Casinos in Nigeria

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Introduction

In this review, we’ll look at the country of Nigeria and explore the land casino scene there. We’ll look back at the history of gambling from early times until the latest gambling laws, and we’ll explore a few of the most popular gambling spots in the country.

But first…

We’ll take a look at the country itself! Is it a place you’d want to plan a gambling trip to, or are there concentrations of casinos you might visit if you are already planning a trip, or perhaps you’d just like to know more about Nigeria and the gambling there?

Nigeria is Africa’s most heavily populated country. It’s located on the western coast of the continent and is bordered by Benin, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, with the Atlantic Ocean along its south. Nigeria covers a lot of ground and has everything from busy cities to quieter countryside villages and plenty of unsettled natural spaces.

Lagos is the biggest city and it never sleeps with over 20 million residents. It’s about the size of the New York - Newark metro area; Delhi, India; São Paulo, Brazil, and Cairo, Egypt. Abuja is the capital and it has an entirely different feel to it. People say it’s calmer and more organized than Lagos. Nigeria has a long history reaching back to ancient kingdoms like the Nok and Benin. At times it has been subjected to colonizing forces, and finally, it gained independence in 1960. The current economy is based mostly on oil exports, but agriculture and other industries like telecommunications and trade are also big parts of it.

Life isn’t always easy in Nigeria. Residents can have a hard time due to political issues and the top-heavy lopsided and hollowed-out distribution of wealth. The middle class is small but strong with a 90% post-secondary education level. While young adults in the middle class are eager to leave and migrate to Canada or the US for greater opportunity - others come to Nigeria for the food, the culture, and natural attractions like Yankari National Park and Olumo Rock. The country offers a one-of-a-kind visitor experience, whether they’re exploring its history, drinking in the nightlife or casino scene, or going out into the rural areas to search the public markets.

History of Gambling in Nigeria

Gambling in Nigeria goes way back to pre-colonial times when locals played games of chance to entertain themselves. Traditional games like Ayo, a competitive game that uses a board with seeds, were widespread and are still an important part of the culture. After Nigeria gained independence in the 1960s, modern gambling games started to appear in public. Sports betting has been popular since the beginning. Over time, casinos and lotteries bubbled up and found their places much as they did in other lands all around the world. The National Lottery Act came into effect in 2005 and that, more than anything else, marked an emergence of commercial gaming in the country, but some aspects of regulation sat unchanged for decades.

Legislation and Jurisdiction

The legal gambling situation in Nigeria is complicated. There are no national laws governing lotteries, casinos, and sports betting, so most of the power to regulate is vested in the individual states. The exception is the National Lottery Act of 2005. That legislation allowed the federal government to be the overseer of the Nigerian lottery system. Lottery vendors lobbying for passage of the law most likely found the even playing field and centralized aspect of a federal system to be more stable and easier to deal with.

Sports betting on the other hand operates under the Lagos State Lotteries Board and other state-run bodies. Land-based casinos are not federally regulated but they are legal as long as they stick to the local regulations. There aren’t too many casinos in Nigeria, but some are quite profitable despite the various hurdles and costs imposed at the local level.

Online gambling isn’t directly addressed in federal law, so it operates in a sort of legal gray area. Several local online platforms are available, but there’s not much oversight. That sets the stage for fraud, responsible gambling lapses, and underage gambling at a minimum. Lawmakers try almost every year to pass legislation to improve the situation but results are sporadic and the body of gambling law remains fragmented. Enforcement isn’t steady or even-handed and that sets the stage for corruption.

Popular Spots and Games

Nigeria has a full regimen of casinos from upscale resorts to small local gaming spots. One of the well-known venues is the Green Lion Casino, which features a good mix of slots and table games. Players can bet on American Roulette, Blackjack, Baccarat, Caribbean Poker, and Texas Hold’em Poker. This casino tries to please everyone with low minimum slot stakes and some high roller table limits.

hardcore poker players in Nigeria know that Lagos Poker Club is a dedicated poker venue with five well-maintained tables. It’s the go-to spot in Lagos for serious players looking to compete seriously or just enjoy a casual round with old or new friends.

Some of the smaller gaming hotspots include those run by Promatic Nigeria. The company has opened about a dozen Hot Fun Gaming Centres with slots and arcade-style gaming. Some of the locations include Golden Gate Hotel, Carliza, Oxygen Club, and Rumors Club. You’ll even find a center next to the Lagos Airport Hotel for a quick or two before or after a flight.

If you are looking for a full-on casino experience, The Federal Palace Hotel & Casino is the biggest gaming center in the country by floor size and machine count. It’s a Sun Palace property and has over 100 slots with minimum bets ranging from US$0.01 to US$0.50, plus 10 gaming tables. In addition to a hotel, the gaming hub has dining, bars, and entertainment options.

Among several others, we’ll mention the Transcorp Hilton Abuja Casino for more upscale gambling. There aren’t as many machines here, only about three dozen, but there are ten gaming tables putting it on par with Federal Palace for the more serious gambler. While it sees plenty of international customers, locals are welcome too.

Quite a few gambling halls and in-hotel casinos seem to have closed during the shutdowns and their pages redirect to online gaming sites. We won’t go into those in more detail here because anyone can visit an online casino and Nigerians have tried and true vetted options rated by players and ranked by thumps up and thumbs down and it’s easy enough to find the best odds.

Conclusion

Nigeria’s casinos offer different experiences for different types of players. If you want to visit a full-service resort or some of the smaller, local spots for a quick game, there’s a little bit of something for everybody. The Green Lion on Victoria Island and Federal Palace Hotel & Casino in Lagos as well as the Transcorp Hilton Abuja Casino all offer a good mix of table games and slots. The Lagos Poker Club is ready-built for poker players.. Promatic Nigeria's Hot Fun Gaming Centres are scattered all over the place and offer locals a chance to gamble without traveling too far.