A high-profile lawsuit between SportyBet Nigeria and a group of its users has concluded with a decisive ruling against the operator.
The dispute began in 2024 when SportyBet blocked several accounts, accusing the holders of “system manipulation” to secure payouts totaling over N900 million.
Failure to Prove Claims
After the affected users took to social media to demand their winnings, SportyBet sought legal relief, filing for an ex parte order to silence the customers and demanding N50 million in damages for alleged financial misconduct and defamation. However, the court found the operator’s arguments lacked substantive evidence.
In the final judgment, the presiding judge stated:
“The claimant is not entitled to any of the reliefs… This suit is dismissed.”
As per the details of the lawsuit, the court noted that while SportyBet alleged the system was compromised, no evidence of a cyber-attack was presented. The case was ultimately viewed as an attempt to suppress public commentary without proof of wrongdoing. The ruling serves as a significant precedent for player rights in the rapidly growing Nigerian betting market.
