To boost tax revenues and bring more flexibility to gamers in Nigeria, online gambling permission in the West African giant will soon be available to companies with no physical presence. This will be made possible by a new remote operator authorisation that will be available to gaming providers with licenses in jurisdictions outside of Nigeria.
In other words, if a gaming platform or provider already has a license in another country and would want to provide its services to players in Nigeria, it can apply for a remote operator permission.
Please also check our section with the Top Betting Sites in Nigeria in this regard.
The new license would allow the holder to advertise their services in the Nigerian print media or through affiliate programs and provide those services to Nigerian customers.
The permit also exempts holders from any requirement to establish a local subsidiary of their firms in Nigeria. This is subject to the completion of a Non-Residence Registration Request to the Federal Inland Revenue Service of Nigeria (FIRS), which gaming providers can complete through the Dedicated System.
Implementing this permit will open the door for online gaming vendors to provide gaming options like sports betting, table games, slots, and poker rooms.
Terms and conditions that permit holders must follow will be issued by the Nigerian National Lottery Regulatory Commission. The permit’s duration is set at five years and costs $100,000 upfront to receive. After the first outlay, gaming providers must pay $50,000 annually for the next four years to retain the permit.
However, in the event of egregious violations, especially those pertaining to responsible gaming and underage gaming, any organisation under the permit runs the risk of being placed on the Remote Operator Blacklist, which will prevent the company from ever applying for a Permit again.
Sentinal, developed by UK-based fintech firm E-Technologies Global Limited, will power the revised tax collecting system essential to the new administration. Because of this, financial institutions will be able to deduct taxes at the time of the transaction and remit the money to the Treasury promptly.
The director general of Nigeria’s lottery regulator, Lanre Gbajabiamila, has stated that the government is open to partnering with any offshore operators who are able to meet the requirements set forth by the regulator.
In his words, “Online gaming continues to grow rapidly in Nigeria, particularly on mobile, and the adoption of E-Technologies’ Sentinal National Payment Gateway is a huge step to allow us to capture gaming duty at the source.”
“We are welcoming all responsible offshore gaming operators to apply for a remote operator permit as long as they pass all the relevant criteria, including full AML screening and responsible gaming practices.”
“We are proud to be the first country to adopt the Sentinal system, and we believe it will bring a real national benefit to Nigeria.”
