Behind the Scenes of the Rise of Sports Betting in Nigeria

Description: Nigeria is the largest consumer of online betting products all over Africa. How did it happen? In this article, you will get answers to the Rise of Sports Betting in Nigeria.

The Rise of Sports Betting in Nigeria: Exploring its Popularity and Impact

The dramatic uprising of sports betting has been legendary in the African continent. Of course, the advent of online gambling has been a major driver. Among all the countries, Nigeria sticks out like a sore thumb.

Jimmy Daytona from Betzillion, a betting expert, explores why and how this happened in this article. Jimmy has also brought a list of betting sites in Nigeria that are reliable and effective in this opinion.

First Things First: Jimmy Daytona Explains the Legality of Betting in Nigeria

Whenever we deal with sensitive subjects like gambling, we believe getting a clear picture of its legality is a good idea. We know how popular sports betting is in the country, but we’re not up-to-date on the legislation.

Thankfully, Jimmy wants us all to relax because gambling is legal and regulated in Nigeria. But not on the federal level. It’s the National Lottery Regulatory Commission that oversees the gambling paradigm in the country.

According to statistics, more than 60 million Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 40 participate in gambling regularly. This data is quite old, and no recent surveys have been conducted. Jimmy is quite certain that the percentage of gamblers has increased since.

Now that the legality of online sports betting is out of the way, nothing is stopping Jimmy from getting into the country’s dramatic rise of sports betting.

Feature: What Does Sports Betting Mean to Nigerians?

We must trace our steps back to understand how online and offline sports betting became popular. Specifically, we must look at the country’s sentiment and overall economic status.

Nigeria has vast fields, allowing children to play outdoors in their free time. All African countries are under the spell of football (soccer). It makes sense. Football is extremely popular in European countries, and Europeans colonized most African nations.

Among all the African nations, Nigeria is one of the best performers for football on an international level, if not the best. It gives hope to the regular Nigerians who fall in love with the sport, generation after generation.

Then there is regulation. It didn’t take long for African governments to realize the growth potential for gambling. A big chunk of these countries got their independence during the 1950s. Within a few years of being sovereign nations, they legalized gambling.

Nigeria gained its independence in 1960 from the British Empire. Interestingly, the bureaucrats didn’t move to legalize gambling until 2005 officially! Many believe that the actual timeline of legalization is 1990. The 1990 Criminal Code of Nigeria exempted poker and backgammon from the ban.

But let’s stick to 2005 for consistency. That’s also when the National Lottery Regulatory Commission was founded. 2005 also marks the year when online gambling was legalized in Nigeria.

Now that we think of it, it might be the years of abstinence from gambling that were unleashed after the legalization. The government allowed physical betting shops all over the country. They’re occupied with maxing capacity more often than not.

The Rise of Online Gambling

If we have to focus on the growth of online betting in the country, we must look behind the curtains. On a broader note, fast-growing internet infrastructure and smartphone penetration are the primary drivers behind online gambling.

The Nigerian people quickly realized they no longer had to go out in the sun to place their bets. As long as they’re 18 and they have a registered payment method to their name, they can bet online!

Of course, online betting sites are also regulated by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission.

It all happened when the online sports betting industry underwent a major shift. More operators were launching their platforms with features we never heard of before. Live betting, cash out, odds boost, etc., used to be very new terms to the bettors.

Mobile Betting: The Pinnacle of Online Gambling in Nigeria

Across all African countries, we’ve noticed a pattern. Bettors are more comfortable betting from their smartphones than their desktop computers. Well, it may have something to do with very few people owning desktops.

Online sportsbook operators didn’t take long to pick up on the pattern. They started offering mobile-first platforms as well as mobile payment methods! Many online gambling sites in Nigeria accept payments via Paga Mobile, MTN, Kudi Mobile, Vodafone, and whatnot.

What Do Nigerians Bet on Online?

You can already guess what Jimmy’s answer is. It’s football. Ultimately, the Nigerians’ love for football made the rise of sports betting possible. However, the days of betting only on football are over.

If you look at most modern online betting sites that accept customers from Nigeria, you’ll notice that they have massive sports menus. Apart from football, these menus contain sports like:

• American football
• Cricket
• Volleyball
• Rugby
• MMA
• Tennis
• Motorsports

The availability of these sports to Nigerian punters has also resulted in an amazing growth of online betting. Football might be predominantly popular, but it’s not necessary that every bettor in the country only dreams of football betting. Many love the American version of football. Many love the tennis Grand Slam events. Modern betting sites are providing them all.

Conclusion

The growth of online sports betting in Nigeria is just the tip of the iceberg. There is a lot more to come to the largest economy in Africa. The country has already established itself as a major hub for online gambling. Companies like Bet365, Betway, and Parimatch are starting to offer Nigerian customers their full range of services.

The already booming economy is priming up for the 2nd leg, and you can be a part of it.

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