By Esther Onyegbula

In a significant show of support for growing advocacy around responsible gambling, the Lagos State Government has thrown its weight behind Gamble Alert, a non-governmental organization leading the charge for safer gaming practices in Nigeria.

At the 2025 Responsible Gaming Symposium held in Lagos, government officials, industry regulators, and mental health experts convened to confront Nigeria’s burgeoning gambling addiction crisis.

Dr. Tolu Ajomale, Head of Special Projects and Mental Health at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, who represented the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, affirmed the state’s commitment to tackling gambling-related mental health issues through robust policy and infrastructure.

According to Dr. Ajomale, “We understand the importance of responsible gambling. It’s a legal activity, and we can’t outlaw it . “However, we must protect the vulnerable. This is why we’re excited to collaborate with organizations like Gamble Alert that are pushing for safety nets and user protections within the gaming industry.”

The Lagos State Government, he said, is leading nationwide efforts with the ongoing construction of a 500-bed mental health institute with a 1,000-bed rehabilitation wing, a flagship facility poised to be the largest in West Africa. In addition, the government has deployed mental health programs across schools, maternal clinics, and public health centers, with trained personnel and helplines now accessible to individuals struggling with addiction.

While acknowledging these strides, Dr. Ajomale raised concerns about Nigeria’s fragmented data landscape.

“We have data sitting with hospitals, regulators, and gaming companies, but they’re disconnected,” he noted. “This fragmentation undermines policy and planning. A central database is urgently needed to track gambling-related mental health cases.”

Describing the symposium as a critical intervention, Founder and CEO of Gamble Alert, Fisayo Oke said: “This industry is massive and rapidly evolving. Yet many operators once believed that prioritizing responsible gaming would hurt their profits.

“Research proves otherwise, long-term sustainability is directly tied to player safety.”

Oke emphasized that the symposium aimed to bridge the gap between regulators, gaming operators, public health experts, and academics to establish a robust national framework for responsible gambling.

Echoing this, Prof. Peter Olapegba, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, stressed the urgency of integrating health and policy responses to mitigate addiction risks.

“This is not just a health issue, it’s a national development issue,” he said. “The consequences of problem gambling stretch from suicide risks to family disintegration.”

Highlighting Lagos State’s pioneering role in gaming regulation, Director General of the Oyo State Gaming Board, Mr. Olajide Boladuro, said: “That many states are still without laws governing gambling due to socio-cultural barriers.

“It’s time to enforce existing regulations strictly. We must shift public perception. Gambling should be leisure, not a shortcut to riches.”

Boladuro described community-level interventions in Oyo, including grassroots outreach, roadshows, and vernacular radio broadcasts, to sensitize rural populations in areas like Ibeti and Okemoh about the dangers of gaming addiction.

Representing the gaming sector, the Head of Legal and Regulatory Compliance at KC Gaming Networks (Bet9ja) outlined several measures already in place to promote responsible play.

These include, Age verification (online KYC and in-store ID checks), Continuous player activity monitoring, with in-app alerts and direct messaging for excessive play, Self-exclusion programs, with thousands of players opting out monthly.

“It’s not just about compliance, it’s about care,” said the representative. “We’ve built systems that help users know when to take a break and seek help.”

Despite the progress, stakeholders agree that significant gaps remain in data integration, enforcement, and legal mandates.

“The current support systems are voluntary,” Dr. Ajomale emphasized. “The next step is standardizing safety features across all platforms and making them mandatory.”

The call for unified action was clear: for Nigeria’s gaming industry to thrive sustainably, responsible gambling must move from optional advocacy to enforceable regulation, underpinned by data, collaboration, and care.