Without a doubt, the gaming industry in the Nigeria region will only grow in the near future, and experts predict that it will almost double by 2030.
In 2021 the highest share of the gambling market is still occupied by offline gambling. 90% of the market belongs to this segment. The online segment is expected to grow at the highest rate over the next eight years with an average annual growth rate of at least 8.59%. The enormous popularity of gambling applications in Africa, as well as the proliferation of smart devices and the ever-growing online gambling, will open up new perspectives for the transformation of the market.
In Nigeria, the number of young people is growing, people under the age of 25 make up almost 60% of the population and show a huge interest in gambling and betting. About 54% of sub-Saharan African youth between the ages of 17 and 35 place bets on sports, according to a 2019 GeoPoll survey. Smartphone usage is also steadily increasing in the region. Nigeria is expected to witness high player interest in online casino and gambling during the forecast period.
The expected increase in the popularity of casinos is due to the fact that the country is increasingly allowing commercial gambling at the legislative level. The lifting of the ban on gambling is due to the fact that the industry is considered an important tool for economic development and solving problems with population employment.
By gaming products, the market is divided into the following segments:
- Betting: betting on sports with fixed odds; betting on horse races and dog races; live bets; exchange rates; rates on Wed.
- Casino games: slot machines; blackjack; baccarat; patinko
- Poker: three-card poker; four-card poker; other
- Lotteries: scratch-off; bingo; keno
By types of service delivery channels, the African market is segmented into: online and offline.
But among all players, not only young people, it is possible to determine the top 5 games for playing.
Football
The most popular sport among Nigerian players. This sport is the most popular because in Nigeria many residents play professionally themselves and organize local championships. Most players know the rules and are fans of this sport, so it is more interesting and easier for them to bet on football. Given the high relevance of football, bookmakers have made a lot of efforts to ensure that the player has a choice between markets and types of bets. Bookmakers offer more than 1000+ markets, popular leagues, virtual football bets.
Football odds are fair compared to other sports and professional bettors prefer express betting on football matches. A better betting experience is provided by live football broadcasts and most bookmakers have developed apps for watching live broadcasts, but these are paid (data packages) and watching live matches can be an expensive pleasure.
Tennis
Second only to football, Nigerian players prefer the big game of tennis. The difference between betting on football and tennis is that the markets for tennis matches are limited to international leagues. This leads to the fact that it is difficult for players to know all the matches due to restrictions on the rights of organizations and international restrictions. A small number of bookmakers offer live tennis matches that are available for betting.
Horse Racing
The popularity of this sport appeared due to the influence of the media and is considered the most difficult of all bets. It has to do with picking a winner and finding the best betting option to win. For successful bets, the player needs to pay attention to the win, the place and the predictions (that is, you choose a horse that will finish first, and another horse will finish second and third respectively). Among the advantages of such bets should be noted the presence of good markets and relatively fair odds.
Rugby
In the ranking of top games, the third place is given to rugby. Because of the intense power, speed and great physical contact, this game is considered mainly for men. Among players, live broadcasts of matches are relevant in rugby. An advantage among other species for exciting and unpredictable actions with interesting gameplay. This game has a large number of markets with high coefficients. But among the minuses, one should highlight the limited possibilities of live broadcasting or not all world tournaments are represented.
MMA/UFC
After rugby, the most exciting and extreme sport is boxing. Regardless of the results of the bets, most players get satisfaction from watching and finally winning the champion. UFC and MMA are more popular than boxing because fighters can use their whole bodies to fight, acrobatic fighters perform breath-taking stunts. Advantages among other types of bets: it is easy to choose a winner due to the status, many options of types of bets.
Other popular betting sports include hockey, basketball, table tennis, eSports and American football.
