Exploring the Nigerian Betting and Gambling Industry

Nigeria is located on the west coast of Africa. Gambling and betting in Nigeria is a hot market for betting and gambling operators. It is popular due to the penetration of internet services, gambling facilities, and the advancement of mobile technology. It is among the top African countries with a huge gambling industry that brings billions of dollars.

Betting and gambling is legal in Nigeria. It has favorable laws on betting and gambling. The country’s national lottery, backgammon, promotions, pools, licensed casinos and skilled-based card games are the only form of betting that is legal in Nigeria.

Before 1965, gambling laws were already in place. The first gambling and betting Acts were: the Lagos State Lotto Authority, Casino Taxation Act, and A lotteries and Pools Betting Law. Although the Acts were established, it had some loops that led to illegal gambling activities taking place. In 1977, The Gaming Machines Act was enacted to regulate the previous laws. It saw the prohibition of owning and importing slots gaming machines. This law did not affect licensed casinos.

Nigeria’s gambling scene took a new turn (between 1990 to 2007) after new laws were passed to regulate and oversee betting and gambling in Kenya.

The new policies and laws were:
• Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999
• Taxes and Levies Act of 1998
• Casino and Gaming Law of Lagos State 2004
• National Lottery Regulatory Commission 2007

Online gambling
Online sports betting has been on the rise since 2016 in Nigeria. The development of mobile technology, better internet services, and favorable gambling laws have contributed to online sports betting sites in Nigeria. Betting sites are a unique product from betting firms that offer convenience, enticing bonuses, cash-outs, and user-friendly interfaces to their loyal customers at their comfort. Betting sites in Nigeria offer the best betting experience to punters who desire live bets. Nairabet and Winners Golden Bet are Nigerian own online sports betting sites. Other popular sites include Betway, 22 bets, Melbet and 1xbet.
Online casinos are also a favorite among the punters of Nigeria. Gamblers place their bets at offshore gambling websites that are licensed in foreign countries. Casino sites include 22bet Casino and Betway Casino.

Casinos
Casinos in Nigeria are a gambling destination for both locals, businessmen, and foreigners. Casinos attract the upper-middle class of Nigeria and hold a huge revenue for its economy. They have plenty of games including table games, slot games, and video games among others. The Nigerian casinos offer games such as American Roulette, Poker, 60 reels, Baccarat, Blackjack, bingo, Let it Ride Poker, Progressive Jackpot, and 3-card Poker to mention a few. Most of the casinos in Nigeria are open from the afternoon.

Some of the Casino in Nigeria are:
• Federal Palace Casino, Lagos
• President Hotel and Casino, Port Harcourt
• Premier Hotel, Ibadan
• Transcorp Hilton, Abuja
• Le MeridienEko Hotel and Casino, Lagos
• The Green Lion Casino, Lagos
• Excelsior Hotel and casino, Lagos
• Imo Concorde Hotel, Owerri
• Sheraton Abuja Hotel

Sports betting
Nigerians love to bet on football. It is one of their favorite sport. They can place their bets in betting shops or through a mobile device. Nigeria bettors are enticed by the amazing offers such as free bets, VIP players offers, best odd bonuses, and cash backs to join and place their bets. Betland and Winasbet is a popular Nigerian sportsbook, preferred by most Nigerian bettors. Betland and Winasbet betting shops across the country where you can place shop onsite or offsite. Apart from football, bettors from Nigeria can place their bets on cricket, basketball, tennis, rugby, virtual dog racing and other international sports events.

Others forms of betting
• Lotto
• Betting and pools
• Lotteries

The above acts are relevant to sportsbooks and bettors. However, the laws do not include online gambling and betting in Nigeria. It is considered illegal to own and run online casinos but Nigerian players can still access offshore online casinos that accept Nigerians.

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