Dipo Olowookere
Online sports betting is legal in Nigeria, but experts say the government needs to do a better job of controlling influencers in the field. In May this year, a Nigerian student committed suicide after he and a friend lost money to pay school fees because of their gambling bets. Online sports betting advertisements are rampant in the country, with many influencers on social media having millions of followers.
How Influencers are pulling the youth into the pernicious world of gambling
Experts believe that influencers are fostering addiction, and the government must step in to prevent it. Influencer marketing has attracted millions of young Nigerians to gambling, which was previously unacceptable and cultivated in society. Social media accounts with huge numbers of followers very often advertise impressive winnings from online sports betting or sites like topcadcasinos.net that give players access to no-deposit free spins and other bonuses.
Experts say that support from influencers only encourages addiction as young people, feeling desperate, look for ways to survive the country’s harsh economic situation. They also believe that the lack of government control is one of the reasons why the trend is thriving.
Over the past two years, Gamble Alert, a non-profit organization from Nigeria, has noticed a significant increase in the number of people seeking help for gambling addiction. This increase can be attributed to the aggressive marketing campaign for sports betting being undertaken in the country. However, the focus on the principles of responsible gambling in this campaign has been woefully inadequate.
One of the problems has been the advertising model that has actively infiltrated the social media space. Here, one can see a plethora of Influencers who are constantly promoting gaming companies for their own benefit. These influencers play an important role in attracting new players and encouraging them to participate in sports betting. However, they often ignore the importance of responsible gambling principles in their promotional strategy.
This leads to more and more people becoming addicted to gambling. Uncontrolled and inappropriate participation in sports betting can have serious consequences on people’s health and financial situation. Gamble Alert, a non-profit organization, is committed to helping such people and offers services to combat gambling addiction. They offer counseling and support for those with gambling problems.
Overall, the situation of gambling addiction in Nigeria is becoming more serious. Therefore, regulators need to pay more attention to the principles of responsible gambling in the field of sports betting and tighten control over advertising activities in this area. This is the only way to reduce the risk of pathological addiction and help those who have already faced the problem of gambling addiction.
