{"id":5285,"date":"2022-07-23T23:43:04","date_gmt":"2022-07-23T23:43:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/?p=5285"},"modified":"2022-07-23T23:43:04","modified_gmt":"2022-07-23T23:43:04","slug":"key-notes-on-the-requirements-costs-procedure-for-gaming-licence-in-rivers-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/2022\/07\/23\/key-notes-on-the-requirements-costs-procedure-for-gaming-licence-in-rivers-state\/","title":{"rendered":"KEY NOTES ON THE REQUIREMENTS, COSTS & PROCEDURE FOR GAMING LICENCE IN RIVERS STATE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Who can apply for a gaming License\nin Rivers State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gaming business in Nigeria is regulated by both the\nFederal Government of Nigeria and the Government of the State where the gaming\nbusiness is located. The only exception is the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja\nwhich is under the administration of the Federal Government of Nigeria and\ntherefore does not require two-level regulation of gaming businesses within the\nFCT. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A company can engage in in gaming business in Rivers\nState if it is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (\u201cCAC\u201d) as a\nlimited liability company and licensed by the National Lottery Regulatory\nCommission (\u201cNLRC\u201d) and the Gaming Department of the Rivers State Board of\nInternal Revenue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What categories of games are\navailable for licensing in Rivers State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are Four (4) major categories of games which can\nbe licensed in Rivers State, namely:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      i. Sports\nBetting<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      ii. Pools\nBetting<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      iii. Casino\n(Online or Machine)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      iv. Lottery<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the requirements and procedure\nfor gaming license in Rivers State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As already mentioned above, the application procedure for\ngaming is in two levels: first licence by the NLRC and the second licence by\nthe Board of Internal Revenue of Rivers State. Please\nread more about costs, requirements and timeline for obtaining gaming licence\nfrom the NLRC here.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With respect to the licence by the Board of Internal\nRevenue of Rivers State, the applicant company is required to present a written\napplication to the Executive Chairman of the Rivers State Board of Internal\nRevenue which must be accompanied by the following documents:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

i. Evidence of\npayment of Application Fee;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ii. Incorporation documents of the Applicant company;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iii. Proof of business address within Rivers State,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iv. Business Plan and Feasibility Study;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

v. Proof of financial capability<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the application succeeds, the Chairman shall issue\na letter of clearance stating that the applicant company can operate its\nbusiness within Rivers State. Please note that before now, certificates were\nissued to Applicants, however, the Chairman of the board now issues \u201cLetter\nof Clearance\u201d<\/strong> which suffices as a license to operate a gaming license.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is there a mandatory licensing requirement\nfor business address within Rivers State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes. Only applicants with business address within Rivers\nState are eligible for gaming licence of the Rivers State Government. Proof of\nbusiness address within Rivers State is one of the requirements for granting a\ngaming licence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the minimum share capital\nfor setting up a Gaming company in Rivers State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no required share capital to set up a gaming company\nin Rivers State. However, a gaming company must first register with the\nCorporate Affairs Commission (\u201cCAC\u201d) with the required share capital as\nstipulated by the NLRC. This is because the CAC will not accept any application\nfor incorporation of a gaming company unless the promoters of the gaming\nbusiness meet the sectorial requirements provided by the NLRC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please note that sports betting companies and lottery\ncompanies are required by the NLRC to be registered with a minimum of N30\nMillion share capital and a N100 Million share capital respectively. Whilst\nthere is no specified share capital for casino and pools betting in Rivers\nState, it is advisable to incorporate companies seeking to be licensed for\nthose business activities with N30 Million share capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\nare the Requirements for Company Registration in Nigeria?<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As already\nmentioned above, a company that is desirous of setting up a gaming\nbusiness must register itself\nwith CAC. Please note that the incorporation of a sports betting and lottery\ncompany cannot be completed unless with a provisional approval of the NLRC.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Registration\nof companies with CAC can now be completed in 24 hours after submission application\nsubject to fulfillment of the preconditions for incorporation including the\nprovisional approval of the NLRC.\nThe process of company incorporation\nis now\n100% digital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nmandatory requirements for company registration with CAC are listed and\nexplained as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(a) Two Proposed Names of the Company:<\/strong> The Applicant is required to submit two (2) names of the proposed company for screening and reservation. One of the names may be\napproved by the CAC within 24 hours to enable the promoters to apply to the NLRC for\npre-licensing approval for gaming business.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(b) Proposed Registered Address, Email and Phone Number of\nthe Company<\/strong>: Every\ncompany must have its registered address in Nigeria. Also, it is important to\nprovide the email and phone number of the company (please note that the email\naddress and phone numbers of the shareholders or directors may be used in the\nmeantime). The registered address, email and phone numbers are also relevant\nfor use and record of the tax authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(c) Details of Shareholders, Directors and Company\nSecretary of the Company<\/strong>:\nThe old law that a company must have at least two (2) shareholders or two (2)\ndirectors has now been abolished by the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020\n(\u201cCAMA 2020\u201d). Now, a company may be registered with at least one (1)\nshareholder, one (1) director\nand\na company secretary all of whom\nmust present the following details:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

i.\nNames;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ii.\nHome and contact addresses;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iii.\nEmail Addresses;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

iv.\nPhone Numbers;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

v.\nDate of Birth;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

vi. Occupation;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

vii. A\ncopy of government-issued means of identity (preferably data page of\ninternational passport); and<\/p>\n\n\n\n

viii.\nElectronic signatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(d)\nProvisional Approval of the NLRC (where applicable)<\/strong>: Where the\ncompany seeks to engage in sports betting and lottery games, it is required to\nfirst obtain the provisional approval of the NLRC before applying to the CAC\nfor company incorporation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the Applicable costs for\nobtaining Gaming License in Rivers State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Applicable costs for obtaining Gaming License in\nRivers State are as tabulated below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n S\/N<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n  Categories of Gaming License<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Application Fee<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n License Fee<\/strong>\n <\/td>\n Incorporation Cost<\/strong>\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 1\n <\/td>\n Sports Betting\n <\/td>\n N100,000.00\n <\/td>\n N10,000,000\n <\/td>\n N155,000\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 2\n <\/td>\n Pools Betting\n <\/td>\n N100,000.00\n <\/td>\n N2,500,000\n <\/td>\n N155,000\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 3\n <\/td>\n Casino (Online or Gaming Machine)\n <\/td>\n N100,000.00\n <\/td>\n N2,500,000\n <\/td>\n N155,000\n <\/td><\/tr>
\n 4\n <\/td>\n Lottery\n <\/td>\n N100,000.00\n <\/td>\n N2,500,000\n <\/td>\n N505,000\n <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The above costs do not include professional fees as\nwell as the licensing\ncosts in respect of the NLRC licence, which is available here.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the applicable taxes to be\npaid by the Applicant?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monthly taxation on gaming business in Rivers State is\nnot fixed but dependent on the outcome of monthly tax audit of the company\u2019s\ngaming accounts by the Board of Internal Revenue of Rivers State. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From experience, the monthly tax on gaming business\nranges from N150,000 to N2,000,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the estimated timeline for\nprocessing a gaming license in Rivers State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From our experience, the process for obtaining the\ngaming licence can be completed within seven (7) working days after submission\nof all relevant documents and payment of applicable fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the validity period for gaming\nlicence in Rivers State?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All categories of gaming licences in Rivers State have\nthe lifespan of Twelve (12) months, which is renewable for another Twelve (12)\nmonths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please\nread more about costs, requirements and timeline for obtaining gaming licence\nfrom the NLRC here.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Who can apply for a gaming License in Rivers State? Gaming business in Nigeria is regulated by both the Federal Government of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[302,303,295,275,276,304,305,306,307,269,270,195,196],"class_list":["post-5285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-publications","tag-gamingbusiness","tag-casino-licence-in-edo-state","tag-casino-licence-in-ghana","tag-casino-licence-in-nigeria","tag-casino-licence-in-oyo","tag-casino-licence-in-rivers-state","tag-gaming-licence-in-edo-state","tag-gaming-licence-in-rivers-state","tag-gaminglicence","tag-lottery-business-in-nigeria","tag-mobile-lottery-licence","tag-online-sports-betting-licence","tag-sports-betting-licence"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5285"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5285\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}