The Imo State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (IMLGA), in collaboration with Gamble Alert, will host the South-East & South-South Responsible Gaming Capacity Building Programme (SESSRG) on 14–15 October 2026 at Imo Digital City Limited, Owerri.
The two-day programme is designed to strengthen responsible gaming and player-protection practices across Nigeria’s South-East and South-South regions.
Bringing Regulators and Frontline Gaming Professionals Together
The programme will bring together:
- regulators
- gaming operators
- gaming agents
- affiliates
- customer-facing industry professionals
The focus is practical rather than purely theoretical. Participants are expected to receive guidance on responsible gaming, player protection, regulatory responsibilities and identifying gambling-related risks in everyday customer interactions.
This is important because many responsible-gaming challenges are first noticed at the point where players interact directly with betting agents, customer-service teams and operators.
Moving Beyond Awareness
Gamble Alert has emphasized that responsible gaming should go beyond public-awareness campaigns.
Effective player protection also depends on the people working inside the gaming ecosystem having the knowledge to recognize risk, respond appropriately and support safer gambling behaviour.
The Owerri programme therefore aims to strengthen the capacity of the people closest to players while also improving collaboration between operators and regulators.
Regional Importance
The initiative also creates a rare platform bringing together gaming stakeholders from both the South-East and South-South.
That makes it relevant not only from a responsible-gaming perspective, but also as a regional industry-networking opportunity for operators, regulators, affiliates and service providers that may not always be represented at larger Lagos-based gaming events.
iBetAfrica Perspective
For iBetAfrica, this is an important development because responsible gaming is increasingly becoming a central part of licensing, operator reputation and long-term market sustainability across Africa.
Programmes such as SESSRG also create room for stronger collaboration between regulators, operators, affiliates and responsible-gaming specialists.
For companies entering or expanding in Nigeria, understanding these expectations early can help build stronger local partnerships and more sustainable operations.
