Application for LOTTERY LICENSE in Nigeria
The National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) has the mandate to regulate the operation and business of lottery in Nigeria. The position in Nigeria at the moment is that anyone can apply for a license to operate the business of a national lottery in the country through the NLRC in accordance and compliance with extant rules and regulations.
There are currently three (3) classes of lottery obtainable, from the NLRC. They are namely, Lottery License, Sports betting license/permit and promotional permit. The process for applying and obtaining each one, differs.
Lottery License: The process of applying for this type of license comes in 3 stages: the application stage, the pre-licensing stage and the post-license stage. First, the applicant must submit an application letter with a completed application form and a comprehensive proposal to the NLRC and then pay the appropriate application fee.
The review of the submitted application and the supporting documentation are usually reviewed by the NLRC within 21 business days, after which the applicant will be notified of the status of the application and any other required action. (The NLRC reserves the right to extend the review period)
Once an application is successful, the application will then move to the 2nd stage. The applicant will be invited to make a presentation to the NLRC on his business scheme and afterwards, an approval in principle to proceed to the licensing stage will be granted to the successful applicant. The approval in principle is often a 90 days period from the date of approval and an applicant is expected to complete all required conditions within this period.
Part of the pre-licensing requirements, is that the NLRC team will visit and inspect the proposed facilities for the lottery business to ensure compliance with approved standards. Also the applicant will provide any additional documentation that will be so required, execute the Terms & Conditions of lottery operation and pay the license fee.
Once an applicant has successfully completed this stage, his/her details will be uploaded on the NLRC website. The applicant is also expected to furnish the NLRC of any change in business structure, contact details etc. During these stages. (An approved license/permit can be revoked on the grounds of misrepresentation or non disclosure). Once a license has been granted, the holder is not allowed to alter, amend or modify the particulars of the proposed lottery scheme/operations without prior approval from the NLRC.
PRE-INCORPORATION OF A LOTTERY/GAMING COMPANY
Any person (s) who wish to incorporate a lottery/betting/gaming company in Nigeria prior to making an application for a lottery license, will first apply for approval from the NLRC in order to incorporate the company.
The person (s) is required to send an application letter for approval (usually through a law office) to NLRC with a copy of the name reservation approval from Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), together with a bank draft in the sum of N10,000 (ten thousand naira) made out to NLRC. Once the approval has been granted by NLRC, the person can then proceed with the registration of the lottery/betting company at CAC.
NOTE:
All Application forms can be downloaded from the NLRC website at www.natlotregcom.gov.ng. It can also be obtained directly at any of the NLRC offices nationwide. All correspondences should be addressed to the Director General of the NLRC.
Application fee for lottery license is N2,000,000.00 (two million naira) while the actual license fee stand at the sum of N100,000,00 (One hundred million naira) for a minimum period of 10 years and a maximum of 15 years.
