Sports betting is now very popular in Nigeria. An estimate of roughly 60 million Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 40 are involved in active sports betting each year. The local industry is reported to have been valued at $2 billion in the last year and its growth is attributed to the rising population of online mobile users.
Online betting is projected to continue to rise worldwide including in Nigeria and with that, we can expect that more sportsbooks will pop out on the scene. Today, there are already plenty of betting sites where you can place bets on sports like football, basketball, boxing, and more. While having plenty of options is a great thing, this can also be a bit overwhelming if you don’t know what you should be looking for.
Fortunately, there are betting review sites that are thorough when it comes to analyzing the best online betting sites in Nigeria. You can easily browse through some of those sites and find a bookie that suits your needs. However, it’s still best that you know what factors to consider if you’re shopping for a good online bookie in Nigeria.
License and Reputation
Nigeria is generally gambling-friendly. All gambling activities here are regulated by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC). Based on the current laws, legal activities in the country include lottery, land-based casino gaming, and sports betting.
NLRC itself issues licenses to gambling companies (based online or not) who’d like to operate in Nigeria. So far, there are already over 30 companies that are licensed but the locals are still free to choose any bookie of their choice. There are also other jurisdictions that issue gambling licenses like Curacao, Malta, and Gibraltar.
It’s important that you only deal with a licensed bookie to make sure that your transactions are safe and secure. Even if services may be imperfect, you can rest assured that licensed casinos and bookies will fix your problem because not complying can lead to them losing their licenses.
It’s also important that you check on the bookie’s reputation. There are review sites that you can visit where actual customers share their experiences with certain betting sites. This way, you get a glimpse of what a company is good at or what sort of problems you can avoid if you choose to sign up with them.
Payment Methods and Currencies
One of the reasons why more people are betting on sports is because of how convenient it is to be able to do so these days. An advantage of online or mobile betting is that you can place bets on any sports event without much hassle and usually, this all boils down to payment solutions.
Rightfully, most casinos and sportsbooks in Nigeria offer a wide variety of payment methods like the use of credit/debit cards, e-wallets like Skrill and PayPal, and even cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, and more.
Choose a bookie that has a payment option that is most convenient for you. Remember that deposit and withdrawal payment options may differ from each other. An example is that a bookie may allow you to deposit into your gaming account using PayPal but won’t give payouts with that platform.
Aside from payment options, check if you are also allowed to transact with Nigerian Naira. It’s wise to bet with the local currency because it’s easier to maximize the value of your money without converting it to other fiat currencies like Euro or US Dollars.
Odds and Gaming Variety
There are different types of bets that you can place in a single sports event. Know that odds offered by bookies also differ and this is why seasoned gamblers would shop around for odds first before placing bets on them. It’s important to do this if you are after making profits.
Sports betting itself is fun but there will be off seasons when you don’t have anything to bet on. This is especially if you only follow major sports events. If you want to still be able to do something with your gaming account, go for bookies with other products and services like casinos and live gaming.
Conclusion
These are the important things to check when looking for the right bookie. There are also other things that some gamblers may prioritize like what bonuses they can be eligible for when signing up with a bookie. Most certainly, a bonus is something you can take advantage of if you want to have more chances of winning. Remember to always read the fine print not only on those bonuses but also when signing up with a bookie!
