The Kano Hisbah Board has announced plans to intensify its campaign against betting shops in the state following a Supreme Court decision that shifted gambling regulation authority to state governments.
The Supreme Court on Friday nullified the 2005 Lottery Act, which had established a national lottery commission and legalized sports betting. The ruling affirmed that state governments, not the federal government, hold the responsibility for regulating gambling activities.
According to Vanguard, Kano, one of 12 predominantly Muslim states in Nigeria, enforces sharia law alongside federal statutes.
Abba Sufi, the Director General of the Kano Hisbah, told AFP, “We will resume our clampdown on betting shops with renewed determination since betting is illegal under Kano state sharia law.” The Hisbah is responsible for enforcing sharia law in Kano, the largest city in northern Nigeria.
Last month, Hisbah operatives raided and shut down dozens of football betting shops in the city, arguing that gambling is prohibited under sharia. The raids were paused after the National Lottery Commission protested, claiming that betting on football was legal under Nigerian federal law through the 2005 Lottery Act.
“With this verdict, the controversy over who should regulate lottery legislation—federal or state governments—has been settled,” Sufi said. “We in Kano have always opposed the lottery law because it provided legal backing for gambling, which is clearly prohibited in Islam.”
Reports indicate that Kano has about 200 betting shops where patrons gather to watch international soccer matches and horse races while placing bets. Sydney Emeafu, head of the National Union of Gaming and Lottery Workers (NUGLOW) in Kano, noted the widespread popularity of these establishments.
Sufi highlighted that the Hisbah’s renewed operations are in response to concerns from parents who reported that children were being drawn into gambling through their passion for football. He also attributed the increase in betting to the prevailing economic hardship, which has pushed many into gambling as a way to seek quick financial gains, often resulting in addiction.
