When you think of sports in Nigeria, the first thought that comes to mind is probably football. Jay-Jay Okocha, John Obi Mikel, and Obafemi Martins are just some of the most famous footballers that have worn the Super Eagles jersey, but Nigeria is not only about football.
Nigerians are crazy about sports, and they love to watch sporting events just as much as they want to participate in them. In fact, doing outdoor sports is the favorite pastime activity for the majority of Nigerians, but another hobby has been gaining popularity in the 21st century as well – sports betting.
Although Nigerians have been betting on football ever since the 1920s, it wasn’t a full-grown industry until the early 2000s, when the first official sports lottery was established. It wasn’t long before the first bookies in Nigeria started operating as well, and there are now dozens of bookmakers that operate legally in the country – both online and via betting parlors.
In this article, we’ll discuss the most popular sports in Nigeria among bettors, both in popularity and revenue, and talk about how the betting patterns of Nigerians might change in the future.
Football
It’s undoubtedly the most popular in Nigeria, both for bettors and participants. It’s also the sport with the most professional athletes, with over 100,000 registered professional footballers – out of which more than 500 are playing abroad.
Some Nigerian football players have been leading their teams to great success, particularly in the English Premier League, which, coincidentally or not, is also the most popular league when it comes to sports betting. All bookies in Nigeria offer odds for EPL games, and that doesn’t only include simple bets such as moneylines, parlays, and totals. Most bookmakers offer unique prop bets for all EPL matches, including player props, futures, and team props.
The EPL is not the only league where Nigerians can place bets, of course. Most bookmakers offer odds for all the major and minor leagues and competitions as well, including the UEFA Champions League, Spanish La Liga, French League 1, Italian Serie A, and more.
Moreover, Nigerians breathe football when the Super Eagles are playing – and that’s especially true when a big competition such as the World Cup is under way. Up to 85% of the population has been watching the most recent World Cup, and over 60% of them have placed at least one bet during the tournament.
Basketball
Although basketball has never been as popular as football, there have been some major NBA stars that have worn the green and white jersey. Every basketball fan remembers Hakeem Olajuwon’s dominance under the rim, but there have been several Nigerian players in the NBA in recent years as well, including Josh Okogie and Precious Achiuwa.
Basketball has become a popular sport for bettors, and most bets are placed on NBA matches. Bookies offer a wide variety of betting markets for NBA games, and the representation is even more diverse during the playoffs, when some interesting bets emerge such as player props and team props.
Tennis
Sports betting is a year-long hobby, and Northern hemisphere summer months are usually times where most leagues have their summer break. That’s not the case for tennis, though, as some of the biggest tournaments are being played in June, July, and August. Coincidentally, that’s when most Nigerians bettors turn to tennis betting.
It has become a popular sport to bet on, and with a wide variety of betting markets every day – it provides some interesting betting opportunities, especially when the more popular sports are not as widely represented.
Athletics
Nigeria has a rich history when it comes to athletics and track & field – and when a sport is enjoyed by a large population in a country, it generally means that it’s attractive for bettors too. Most bookmakers offer odds for big competitions such as the Olympics, but Nigerian bettors can find odds for other competitions as well, such as the Diamond League and the World Athletics Championships.
Modupe Gbadeyanka