The House of Representatives has resolved to stop sports betting in the country and urged the National Lottery Regulatory Commission to comply with the Lottery Regulatory Commission Act, 2005.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion by Kelechi Nwogu (PDP-Rivers) at plenary in Abuja on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria had earlier reported that approximately 60 million Nigerians aged between 18 and 40 engage in sports betting.
According to the lawmaker, weak or neglected regulations of sports betting have given rise to mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and addiction.
Nwogu added that it had also led to strain or broken relationships due to lying or stealing from friends and family, financial problems, legal issues, and job loss due to excessive loss or debt.
“Betting has given rise to increased crime rate and eventual suicide,” he said.
He harped on the need for campaigns to prevent the negative social impact of lottery and underage participation.
Adopting the motion, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation to conduct a comprehensive nationwide campaign to raise public awareness about the negative impact of youth participation in sports betting.
The House also mandated the Committee on Inter–Governmental Affairs to conduct a public hearing on the dangerous effects of sports betting in Nigeria.
It urged the committee to report back to it within four weeks for further legislative action.
NAN reports that data from the National Lottery Trust Fund revealed that over 65 million Nigerians actively engage in betting, spending an average of 15 dollars daily.
It stated Nigerians spent an estimated 975 million dollars daily on online sports betting, which amounted to about $356bn annually.
Speaking with The PUNCH, a staff of SportyBet, who pleaded anonymity, described the move by the lawmakers as ill-timed due to the current economic hardship in the country.