Nigeria is one of the best-established countries in Africa, therefore the rise of online gambling among its citizens came as little or no surprise to experts. Even though most forms of gambling are illegal in the country, players always find their way to other reputable online destination where they can place their bets and win juicy cash rewards. The country has been generally opposed to all types of betting; however, back in 2004 Nigerians witnessed the launch of the country’s first official online lottery service, whereas soon afterwards three land-based casinos in Lagos and Abuja opened their doors for customers as well. It took a bit more time for online casino gambling to become partly accepted by authorities and in 2013 the first roulette-only Nigerian online casino kicked off. Today, players from the African country have lots of options when it comes to playing casino games on the Internet, regardless whether their first pick are popular Android casino apps of standard desktop-friendly destinations.
Those that are familiar with Nigeria’s Criminal Code may know that under Chapter 22 betting and gambling is considered illegal in the country. The only exceptions mentioned in the document are backgammon, national lottery, card games and the three licensed casinos. Engaging in unlawful gambling activities is punished with a fine up to 40 naira or with up to a 3-month prison sentence.
Nonetheless, players seemed dedicated to find alternatives for playing online by joining European gaming sites that gladly accept them. Considering the fact that authorities didn’t show particular interest in stopping this from happening, Nigerian players have become an important target customer group for operators worldwide. Moreover, the National Lottery Regulatory Commission of Nigeria in June, 2013 decided to give green light for the launch of a Nigerian online casino called NairaGames where players could enjoy roulette only. At the same time, Nigerians didn’t stop visiting and wagering at reputable gambling sites operating outside their homeland’s territory.
Latest news reveals that Nigeria’s Internet value chain is getting close to $5.8 trillion; experts believe that the number has high likelihood of being reached as soon as 2020. Obviously, Nigerians are embracing the benefits of the Internet regardless whether they’re using online services for gaming, gambling, watching videos or listening to music. With such a steep growth in Internet value chain, it’s expected to see the number of people who find entertainment in online gaming to further grow in the future. Additionally, there’ve been studies that show that more than 25% of Africa’s population of 1 billion is engaged in mobile and Internet operations, with Nigerians making for a large share of the total number. With these numbers in mind and the rapid growth taken into account, statistics reveal that by 2018 the mobile betting market in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria would have reached $37 billion.
In conclusion, over the years the Nigerian online gambling market has been growing with an impressive pace even though it can’t be said that it actually exists. Nigerians still decide to engage in gambling activities at foreign casinos and form a strong community of players that operators try to attract. The country is obviously slowly opening itself to betting and gambling and the licensed land-based casinos as well as the national online lottery service are two strong proofs of that. Considering the fact that its citizens demand regulations and that taxes from licensed Nigerian gaming companies could significantly boost the country’s budget, it’s not excluded to see authorities push for bills that will open the road for new gaming destinations operating within Nigeria to be created.
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