Nigeria Casino Bonuses

Deposit Bonuses

More often than not, players who start out at a given casino have the opportunity to take advantage of this type of promotional offer, as it often plays the role of the casino’s Welcome Offer. A deposit bonus is a promotion where you receive bonus funds for making your first deposit. How much funds you get depends on the given promotion’s conditions and the size of your deposit. A deposit bonus may also come in the form of a reload bonus, which functions much the same, but for deposits that you make on a regular basis.

Free Games

Free games are basically free spins reserved for specific slot games. Whether they are part of a Welcome Promotion, a VIP Program, or daily or weekly bonuses, free spins are well-liked among players, and casinos tend to offer such promotions relatively often.

Cashback Bonuses

This is a bonus typically reserved for a casino’s regulars. Cashback typically involves getting a portion of one’s losses refunded when it comes to given bets or wagers, and these bonuses are also given out as part of Loyalty Programs and other types of recurring promotions.

Referral Bonus

These types of bonuses are relatively straightforward since they involve inviting a friend to join a casino you frequent. Once they create an account by following the casino’s instructions on how to claim this bonus, both of you will receive rewards, which can range from free spins to cash bonuses. The instructions and requirements surrounding such bonuses will differ depending on the casino, so both you and your acquaintance must take the time to become familiar with the said conditions.

Licensing of Remote Gaming

The first type of permit we will cover is reserved for casinos that operate online. This is the Remote Operator Permit, which, when granted, allows operators to offer Nigeria-based players the opportunity to play games of chance, such as slots, poker, bingo, and casino games. Moreover, gambling websites that focus on sports betting are also eligible for such a permit.

There are requirements a casino or sportsbook needs to meet in order to acquire and retain a permit, and this includes having a Nigeria-specific URL and storing user funds in segregated accounts, separate from the company’s funds. The provider must adhere to the taxation requirements of Nigeria and pay the fees associated with running the gaming-oriented operation. The said fees are $100,000 for a casino’s first year of operation. After one year has passed, the annual fee for renewing a permit is $50,000.

Failure to comply with the licence conditions and Nigerian legislation results in an operator’s licence being revoked and, potentially, the inclusion of the said operator in the commission’s Remote Operator Blacklist. Blacklisting renders a casino or sportsbook ineligible to ever reapply for a permit, and this measure is taken when an operator has committed an exceptionally serious offence.

Licensing Surrounding Lotteries, Sports Betting, and Mobile Gaming

The National Lottery Licence pertains to lottery-related operations. Eligible applicants must pay a licensing fee of ₦2,000,000. When an operator meets all of the requirements and obtains their licence, they must pay the ₦100,000,000 licensing fee. A National Lottery License is valid for 10 years.

Next, we have the Sports Betting Permit, which can be granted to sportsbooks and bookmakers. The application fee here is ₦2,000,000, while the overall fee for a five-year permit is ₦100,000,000. For an operator to qualify for a permit, their share capital must not be lower than ₦30,000,000. Moreover, it must be registered with Nigeria’s Ministry of Trade and the SCUML. In order to retain its permit, 1% of the given operator’s monthly sales turnover must be paid to the NLRC, while 2% of the monthly sales turnover must go to the National Lottery Trust Fund.

It should also be noted that there is a separate form of licensing for mobile gaming, regardless of whether it relates to lotteries, games of chance, or sports betting operations. For a provider to remain a holder of such a permit, they must be connected to the NLRC transaction reporting and monitoring platform, pay the annual fees associated with the permit, pay 2% of the operator’s gross monthly proceeds to the NLRC, and 3% of the gross proceeds to the NLTF. The application fee for such a permit is, once again, ₦2,000,000, with a yearly payment of ₦5,000,000.

State-Specific Regulation

Apart from national laws, gaming in Nigeria is also regulated on a state-by-state basis, as different locations have implemented their own gambling laws. In Lagos, for instance, the Lagos State Lotteries Amended Law of 2008 is what dictates the legality of games of chance and sports betting. Moreover, the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority is the state’s gaming regulatory body. The LSLGA has the authority to issue licences to eligible providers that offer casino games, sports betting, lotteries, and online betting to a Lagos audience. It also makes sure that licence-holders comply with the requirements and regulations outlined in the Lagos State Lotteries Amended Law.

Another instance of state-level regulation is Anambra, where the Anambra State Gaming Company regulates gaming operations that take place within the state’s borders. The Anambra State Gaming Law was first introduced in 2005, and its 2019 amendment led to remote gaming being officially regulated in Anambra.