The House of Representatives has resolved to prohibit sports betting in Nigeria and encouraged the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) to follow the Lottery Regulatory Commission Act of 2005.
The resolution was passed after Rep. Kelechi Nwogu (PDP-Rivers) proposed it at plenary on Thursday in Abuja.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), about 60 million Nigerians aged 18 to 40 wager on sports.
He claims that inadequate or disregarded sports betting legislation have resulted in mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and addiction.
Nwogu went on to say that it had also caused tension or destroyed relationships as a result of lying or stealing from friends and family, financial troubles, legal issues, and job loss owing to significant loss or debt.
“Betting has given rise to increased crime rate and eventual suicide,” he went on to say.
He emphasized the importance of campaigns to reduce the negative social impact of lottery and underage involvement.
Adopting the motion, the House encouraged the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation to launch a comprehensive nationwide campaign to raise public awareness about the negative effects of underage sports betting.
The House also directed the Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs to hold a public hearing on the dangers of sports betting in Nigeria.
It requested that the committee report back to it within four weeks for additional legislative action.
According to NAN, statistics from the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF) shows that more than 65 million Nigerians actively participate in betting, spending an average of $15 every day.
According to NAN (NLTF), Nigerians spend an estimated 975 million dollars each day on online sports betting, totaling over 356 billion dollars per year.