Sports
The Diverse Landscape of the iGaming Industry of Nigeria
The iGaming industry has been thriving in the 21st century. External events that hinder players from visiting brick-and-mortar casinos cause considerable surges in the number of online gamblers.
Aside from the conveniences associated with gambling from home, they also have the opportunity to explore many games they had refrained from playing before.
Nigeria has undoubtedly been affected by the iGaming industry. It is currently the most populated country in Africa and is expected to become the third most populated country in the world in the next few decades. What does this mean for the iGaming industry? They have a massive population of young players who would happily take part in online gambling activities.
Since there are only three land-based casinos in Nigeria, iGaming businesses have an excellent opportunity to expand their services in the country. Since the number of online casinos in the market has risen, they have to fight better to retain customers and earn their loyalty. Customers today have easy access to massive amounts of information and alternative choices, so online casinos must up their game regarding the services they provide for their existing customers. These companies have also realised how difficult it is to acquire new customers and have integrated various promotions with services that help with customer retention.
Gambling in Nigeria
The Nigerian law prohibits gambling of most kinds, with the exception of several skill-based games and the national lottery.
Still, there are three casinos in the country that gamblers can use. But when it comes to online gambling, the legal waters get a bit murky. The law does not mention this big industry and, therefore, does not regulate it.
Since there is no legal regulation of iGaming businesses from Nigeria, it is recommended that players choose offshore gambling sites.
Since these foreign online casinos are registered with reputed licensing commissions, players can raise complaints and issues.
A large percentage of the Nigerian population today owns smartphones. Mobile game developers discovered this to be a wonderful market to introduce their video games. Several developers even came up with localised versions of popular mobile games. This also paved the way for many online casinos and sportsbooks to establish themselves in the Nigerian iGaming space.
Since online slot games such as https://www.slotsformoney.com do not face any regulatory policies from the Government’s side, these have been expanding significantly. Creators of online slots are coming up with better ways to attract and retain customers. They are constantly upgrading the graphics, audio and other features of the games. The Return to Player percentage or RTP determines the amount the person could win from the slot machine, and since these games have been growing in popularity throughout the country, some of the latest online slots present players with an RTP of 99.
Online sports betting in Nigeria
Nigerians love their football leagues, and the massive number of football fans helped with the rise of online sports betting in the country. Reports show that Nigerians are extremely involved in sports betting, with over $2 billion wagered annually in this field.
While land-based sports betting in the country is rather heavily regulated, online sports bookmakers face no restrictions. The National Lottery Act, which was passed in 2005, introduced official regulations on legal sports betting in the country. In the city of Lagos, the Lagos State Lottery Board was set up to regulate numerous gambling activities, including sports betting, lotteries, casinos, etc.
International online sportsbooks can easily access this large population filled with potential online sports bettors. The Government has not done anything to interfere with the functions of any international bookmakers, and numerous sportsbooks licensed in Europe accept Nigerian bettors.
These offshore online bookies provide Nigerian players with bonuses and many types of sports wagers. Though Nigeria has hundreds of languages, the official one is English, and the apps, therefore, use English as the medium. Not every online sportsbook permits deposits and withdrawals made using the official currency, Naira. So, players utilise foreign currencies such as Pounds and Euros alongside various cryptocurrencies.
Summing up
Nigerian laws strictly prohibit unlawful acts of gambling, and they fine or imprison those who are found guilty. But the country also has many exceptions when it comes to what is considered legal. Many skill-based gambling games, sports betting, and lotteries are perfectly legal in the country. With only three brick-and-mortar casinos, this country with a large young population is very much into online gambling. Though regular gambling is heavily regulated, there are no specific rules when it comes to online casinos. So, many offshore gambling sites have found a well-sized audience base in the country. Nigerians also enjoy football, as is evident by the huge number of fans in the country. This has contributed to the rise in the number of offshore online sportsbooks that cater to Nigerian bettors.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The deal between Arsenal Football Club and Emirates has been renewed, making it one of the longest-running and most recognisable partnerships in world sport.
Both parties first came together as partners in 2006 and have since built one of football’s defining partnerships. Spanning the entire Emirates Stadium era, the relationship has evolved alongside the club – supporting Arsenal’s ambitions, strengthening both organisations’ global reach and creating new ways for supporters around the world to connect with Arsenal.
The latest deal will see Emirates continue as the Champions’ front-of-shirt, training kit and stadium naming rights partner through to 2033.
The renewal comes at a pivotal moment in the club’s history following its recent Premier League title. The new agreement will build on many of the flagship initiatives that have defined the partnership, including the Emirates Cup, which brings world-class football to Emirates Stadium each summer, and Global Gooners, which gives supporters from around the world the opportunity to experience Arsenal in North London for the first time.
The next chapter of the partnership will begin this weekend as Arsenal welcome Borussia Dortmund to North London for the Emirates Cup, with a programme of anniversary activity celebrating more than two decades of shared history while looking ahead to the next chapter still to be written. Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, will attend alongside Arsenal senior leadership as part of the celebrations.
Launching alongside the partnership renewal is a new cinematic film featuring Arsenal legend Per Mertesacker. Set inside an antique shop filled with objects from across the Emirates era, the film celebrates two decades of shared memories between Arsenal, Emirates and our supporters, reflecting on the history we’ve made together and the moments still to come.
“Winning the Premier League is an incredibly proud moment in our club’s history and one that belongs to everyone connected with Arsenal. Emirates has been an integral part of this success – standing alongside us throughout this journey and sharing in the defining moments, challenges and successes that have shaped our club over the past two decades,” the chief executive of Arsenal, Mr Richard Garlick, stated.
On his part, the President of Emirates Airline, Sir Tim Clark, said, “Over the last two decades, Emirates and Arsenal have built something that goes far beyond a traditional partnership, and one we are immensely proud of. We have grown alongside the club through changes of era and ambition, united by a shared goal of bringing people closer to what they love.
“In practice, that has meant reaching the millions who follow Arsenal across the Emirates network and beyond and creating experiences for them that neither of us could have done alone.”
Nigeria’s Super Falcons will look to secure their place in the quarter-finals when they face Egypt in their final Group C match on Wednesday at 9:00 pm at the ongoing WAFCON 2026 in Morocco.
The defending champions bounced back from their disappointing 3-2 defeat to Malawi with a crucial 1-0 victory over Zambia and will now be aiming to finish the group stage strongly. All the matches of the tournament air live on SuperSport via DStv and GOtv.
The final matchday of Group A saw hosts Morocco play out a goalless draw with Senegal, a result that was enough to send Morocco through to the quarter-finals in first position in their group. Algeria also secured their place in the knockout stages after a 2-0 victory over Kenya, bringing their group-stage campaign to a strong close.
Tuesday, Group B will conclude with Burkina Faso facing South Africa before Tanzania takes on Ivory Coast. South Africa and Ivory Coast played out a 2-2 draw in their previous match, while Burkina Faso bounced back from their opening defeat with a 2-1 victory over Tanzania. With the group still to be decided, the final results will determine which teams join the quarter-final line-up.
All eyes will then turn to Group C on Wednesday, where Egypt will face Nigeria, and Malawi will take on Zambia, with both matches kicking off at 9:00 pm. The Super Falcons will be hoping to build on their victory over Zambia and secure the result they need to advance to the knockout stages, while Egypt will be looking to end their campaign on a positive note after suffering a 3-1 defeat to Malawi in their previous game.
Nigeria’s final group match comes after a difficult start to their title defence. The Super Falcons were stunned 3-2 by Malawi in their opening game but responded with a 1-0 victory over Zambia to revive their campaign. The ten-time champions will now need to complete the job against Egypt as they look to keep their hopes of retaining the continental crown alive.
The final group-stage fixtures on Thursday will see Ghana take on Mali, and Cape Verde face Cameroon on Thursday, with both matches also scheduled for 9:00 pm. Ghana suffered a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon in their previous outing, while Mali secured a 3-2 victory over Cape Verde. The final results will determine which teams progress to the knockout stages from Group D.
Matchday 3 Fixtures
Tuesday, August 4
Burkina Faso vs South Africa – 9:00 pm
Tanzania vs Ivory Coast – 9:00 pm
Wednesday, August 5
Egypt vs Nigeria – 9:00 pm
Malawi vs Zambia – 9:00 pm
Thursday, August 6
Cape Verde vs Cameroon – 9:00 pm
Mali vs Ghana – 9:00 pm
SuperSport Brings All the Live Action
Catch every match of WAFCON Morocco 2026 live on SS Football (Ch. 202, GOtv Ch. 61) and SS Football Plus (DStv Ch. 202) on DStv and GOtv. Fans can also stream every match live on DStv Stream from ₦6,000, with no decoder or dish required.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
At least for the next four seasons, DStv and GOtv subscribers are guaranteed access to all UEFA men’s club matches on SuperSport.
This is because CANAL+, the parent company of MultiChoice, which owns DStv and GOtv, has secured the exclusive broadcast rights to all UEFA men’s club competitions across Sub-Saharan Africa through 2031, ensuring SuperSport will continue to broadcast the UEFA Champions, Europa and Conference Leagues live to DStv and GOtv subscribers.
The four-season agreement, which begins with the 2027/28 campaign, covers more than 40 countries across the region and includes exclusive rights to the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
In English- and Portuguese-speaking Africa, SuperSport will continue as the exclusive broadcaster of UEFA club competitions, bringing the continent’s biggest European club matches to DStv and GOtv subscribers. The agreement also restores full UEFA Champions League coverage on CANAL+ Sport channels in French-speaking Africa, alongside the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League.
The rights deal further strengthens CANAL+’s sports portfolio, which already includes major football competitions such as the Premier League, LALIGA EA SPORTS, Ligue 1, the Betway Premiership and the ongoing TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2026.
The agreement ensures football fans across Sub-Saharan Africa will continue to enjoy live coverage of Europe’s premier club competitions on SuperSport when the new rights cycle begins in 2027.
“We are very proud of this new partnership, which gives us exclusive rights to all UEFA Men’s Club competitions across more than 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“For four seasons, until 2031, our subscribers will enjoy the thrill of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League’s biggest matches. Today, CANAL+ offers the most attractive sports line-up across Sub-Saharan Africa, and the acquisition of these rights is a perfect illustration of that.
“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to UC3 and to the teams at Relevent for once again placing their trust in CANAL+, following our recent agreements in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Poland and Austria,” the chief executive of CANAL+, Mr Maxime Saada, stated.
