The Supreme Court has struck down the National Lottery Act of 2005, declaring it invalid. In a unanimous ruling on Friday, the seven-member panel of justices concluded that the National Assembly does not have the authority to legislate on matters related to lotteries and games of chance.
The court determined that such powers rest solely with state Houses of Assembly, which hold exclusive jurisdiction over lottery and gaming matters within their territories.
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Writing the lead judgment, Justice Mohammed Idris ordered that the National Lottery Act 2005 can no longer be enforced in any state, except the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where the National Assembly has the constitutional authority to make laws.
The case stemmed from a 2008 lawsuit filed by Lagos and several other states, with Ekiti joining as a co-plaintiff in 2020. In 2022, the Supreme Court added 33 state governments as co-defendants.
Ultimately, the Court’s ruling affirmed that only state legislatures have the right to regulate the lottery and gaming industries, making any national legislation inapplicable outside the FCT.
