By Cynthia Alo

Oyo State’s advertising and gaming regulators have said that their directive requiring pre-exposure vetting of gaming and betting advertisements was intended to complement, not duplicate, the powers of Nigeria’s national advertising regulator.

The Oyo State Signage and Advertisement Agency (OYSAA) and the Oyo State Gaming and Lottery Board said they fully recognise the statutory authority of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) as the national body responsible for approving advertising content and setting professional standards.

Their clarification followed a recent ARCON publication addressing OYSAA’s directive on the vetting of gaming and betting-related advertisements deployed within the state.

In a joint statement, the two Oyo agencies said the directive was prompted by concerns over how some betting and gaming advertisements were displayed on outdoor platforms in the state, with potential implications for public order, youth protection and social responsibility.

They said the state’s Gaming and Lottery Board had identified repeated instances of advertisements that encouraged excessive or irresponsible gaming behaviour, used misleading or sensational messaging, or failed to meet responsible gaming principles under the Oyo State Gaming Law of 2018 and related regulations.

“OYSAA’s intervention should be properly understood as a complementary, place-based regulatory response aimed at ensuring that gaming-related advertisements deployed within the state’s outdoor advertising environment do not undermine public interest objectives or contravene state regulatory standards,” the statement said.

The agencies added that the issue had been discussed within broader inter-governmental forums, including meetings of the Federation of State Gaming Regulators, where ARCON was represented, pointing to growing coordination between federal and subnational regulators.

They stressed that ARCON’s authority over advertising content “remains paramount,” while OYSAA’s mandate is limited to regulating outdoor advertising infrastructure within the state, and state gaming regulators retain responsibility for enforcing responsible gaming standards.

The agencies said they viewed the dispute as an opportunity to strengthen collaboration and develop clearer, harmonised regulatory protocols governing gaming advertisements.

OYSAA and the Oyo State Gaming and Lottery Board said they remained committed to working with ARCON and other stakeholders to promote a lawful and socially responsible advertising environment in the state.