Sports
FEATURE: More Nigerians resort to sports betting for survival
Sports betting is the act of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome. The frequency of sports bet varies by culture, with the vast majority of bets being placed on association football, American football, basketball, baseball, hockey, track cycling, auto racing, mixed martial arts, and boxing at both the amateur and professional levels. Sports betting can also extend to non-athletic events, such as reality show contests, political elections, and non-human contests such as horse racing, greyhound racing, and illegal, underground cockfighting.
Well-known sports betting platforms in Nigeria are; Bet9ja, Sportybet, Betking, Melbet, Parimatch, 1xbet, zebet, and others.
Most people regard sports betting as a means of side hustle while some see it as a means of survival and some others regard it as means of employment.
Our correspondent walked around Ondo city and also interviewed some people regarding how they view sports betting.
Festus Opeyemi, who resides in Akure said he has been using sports betting as a means to meet some of his demands due to the inflation in the country. He also stated that sports betting is beyond the physical because your prediction before the game might not end in your favor. Opeyemi said; ”in betting what you need is to restrategize when it’s not working out for you”.
A respondent who preferred to speak in anonymity said he had been into sport betting ever since 2011 during his N.Y.S.C days. He said, @this year I can say sports betting falls in my favour because I won about 1 million plus for three (3) consecutive weeks after i was sacked from my working place due to the state of my health”. He further stated that despite making millions from sports betting this year, “I still regard it as a side hustle”.
Akinkotu Adewale, who identified himself as a phone repairer said though he hasn’t won a tangible amount from the betting, he hopes to win something tangible soon. He further said, “I have one rollover currently ongoing and I hope to win huge soon”.
Femzy who works at a betting shop narrates his experience in his shop. He said that sports betting is favorable to people who know how to predict games, adding, that people cry and get happy from his shop because of some stake above their income.
Alex Daramola said his view regarding sports betting is highly negative because his ticket does cut unnecessarily and it pains him. He said the main part is because he does experience cut 1 and cut 2 whenever he expects any huge amount of money from a potential win.
A man who identifies himself as Uncle P, said he is into sports betting due to frustration.He has no work and he needs to cater to the needs of the family. He further explained that he feels embarrassed most times because his wife has been the one feeding the house and still gives him some money to hold. He said he wants to change the narrative because that doesn’t show how a responsible man should be handling his family.
READ ALSO Behind the Scenes of the Rise of Sports Betting in Nigeria
A Facebook username who was identified as Emmanuel Elaigwushowse showed his displeasure as to how some major teams lost their matches. In reaction to a recent football match between Borussia Dortmund and Weder Bremen he lamented; “if you know Borussia Dortmund please go and tell them that we don’t bet with stones”. He continued his lamentation by giving an analysis of why sports betting is difficult, stating, “Imagine winning 2:0 in 89 minutes and then lost 3:2 full time”.
Moses Edet a student of AAUA narrates how sports betting has been favorable to him despite losing money to it. He explained that he won #250,000 with #250. He said, “it was surprising but I took my time to analyze it though some analysis don’t work sometimes”. He further said that but for three matches in his selection that did not go according to his prediction, he would have been worth N4milion within 24 hours, without going out of the house and with just N500.
Some ladies also bared their minds as to why they participate in sports betting. One lady who identified herself simply as Jennifer said, “You don’t expect me to ask my boyfriend for money every time, knowing fully well that he has other responsibilities to face”, adding that she wants to prove that not all ladies are dependent but that some are independent without requesting a dine from their boyfriend.
Another lady who identified herself as ‘Good Mama’ said, “I have a family and I need to support my husband financially also”.
Many students, youths and even married men and women have taken sports betting as a means of survival due to the hardships facing the county. While many keep hoping to someday win a fortune, others play it regularly in hopes of getting money to sustain themselves from day to day.
Mr. Ifedayo, an economist and educationist, said sports betting has its impact on the nation’s economy and that it also has social and psychological effects on those that engage in it. According to him, the betting companies are also at risk of suffering the same psychological and social effect that their customers suffer.
Ifedayo explained further that those who play with low income have been conditioned to see it as a means of survival, and that it can become an addiction making them take any action to ensure they play or stake. He added that even when they lose, which is often, the mind keeps telling them that they would win the next one.
Olumide Adesanya, a secondary school teacher lamented that the advent of the internet and social media has made it difficult to regulate those who take part in sports betting, as it should only be for adults. He noted that with online sports betting, many children below 18 years now take part in the act on their phone.
“All you need is an android phone and data and you’re good to go. Of course while registering an account for sports betting online, they will lie about their age. And this makes them take part in vices and other bad acts to get money to stake. And if par chance they win, you see them spending the money on what I regard as useless things just to impress their peers. This is bad and dangerous to their future”.
By Peter Emmanuel
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