Best Betting Sites in Nigeria

Where to bet safely in Nigeria and which online bookmakers to join?

If you cannot decide which bookmaker to join solely based on their welcome bonus, take a look at the table that lists the top betting sites for Nigerian players. Take your pick on keep on reading for further details about the gambling products of each brand.

Best Bookmakers in Nigeria Ranked

1. 1xBet – Best bookmaker in Nigeria for 2024
2. Betano – Excellent sportsbook with great features
3. Betway – Top bonuses for Nigerian punters
4. Bet9ja – Leading local bookmaker
5. 22bet – High odds sportsbook in Africa
6. Betwinner – Reputable sportsbook and casino
7. Melbet – Best betting app in Nigeria

Nigeria’s Top bookmakers reviewed

Many different bookmakers exist in the Nigerian market. Players need to be careful in choosing which bookmaker to register with in the country. Various factors come into play when choosing the right bookie for you. One of the main factors that can be considered are the odds offered on different games. The best ranking betting sites in Nigeria are reviewed below.

1xBet

It is a European bookmaker founded back in 2007. The bookmaker has over 1,000 betting shops, and they have managed to stretch out across borders, and they are also in Nigeria. In Nigeria, players can enjoy a sportsbook, poker pages, and online bookie. You should know that 1xBet has some appealing odds, and they can compete with some of the best bookies. The bookie averages odds of 1.90 on 50/50 outcome events.

Betano

Betano is a European brand that is currently making waves in Africa. Why would this be a top choice for Nigerians? It comes with bonuses in Naira to begin with. It also offers missions for avid sports fans. Last but not least, Betano has innovative punting features like Bet Mentor for instance.

Betway

That is a leading brand in Nigeria and also one of the biggest betting sites in the world. Furthermore Betway serves many Nigerian players. The bookie offers a sportsbook and an online casino. The betting site offers highly competitive odds from fractions to decimals to american on sports such as football, rugby, cricket, and basketball.

Bet9ja

This online bookmaker was founded in 2013 by Kunle Soname, who is a renowned and famous businessman and also a politician. The bookie is licensed and regulated and allowed to operate in the Nigerian market. Also, Bet9ja pays its players quite well, even in events and leagues that are quite competitive. That is the reason why the odds are relatively high.

22bet

The Nigerian betting market is saturated with local and international betting brands. Among these, it is 22bet that stands out as one of the best bookmakers for inexperienced players. Punters new to the world of online wagering can learn the ropes in this easy-to-navigate site. Plus, 22bet is known to offer some of the best promotions for both sports and casino. Be sure to check out the Nigerian site.

Betwinner

Not surprisingly, our list of the best Nigerian betting sites includes this entry. In fact, Betwinner is a brand that enjoys a good reputation among punters across Africa. It offers a wide range of sports, niche markets and tailor-made bonuses. In addition, Betwinner mobile apps are easy to download and use in Nigeria.

Melbet

Last but not least, it is time to review a lesser-known brand. Actually, Melbet may be new to the betting scene in Nigeria, but that does not mean it is a bookie you should overlook. Browse the sports section and the casino library.

What to consider when choosing a betting site in Nigeria?

Players need to put into consideration various factors when choosing which betting site to place bets. Some of the factors that should be considered include:

• Security
  The bookmaker should be using industry-standard security technology to provide its players with a 100% secure playing environment. The casinos should at least use the 128-bit SSL encryption technology to protect customer information and finances.
• Bonuses
  It is another thing that draws Nigerian players to betting sites. The betting sites need to offer an attractive welcome bonus for its new players. They also need to provide other promotions in addition to the welcome bonus to keep players interested.
• Payment methods
  The bookmaker should be able to provide reliable and plenty of banking options to attract Nigerian players.
• Reliability
  Nigerian punters need to check on customer reviews to determine the reliability of the bookmaker. The bookie should also have been in operation for some time before engaging with it.

Betting in Nigeria – Trivia

• Currency: Naira
• Population: 190,900,000
• Active Players: 60,000,000
• Designated Authority: National Lottery Regulatory Authority
• Regulated Gambling Products: Lotteries, Horse Racing, Slot machine games, Online Bookies
• Types of Operators: Offshore companies, land-based casino operators

Did you know that?

• Gambling in Nigeria is legal in all 36 states
• 60 million Nigerians are estimated to gamble every day
• Nigeria spend 2bn Naira on average each day according to KPMG
• The average gambler in Nigeria spends 3000 Naira on betting every day

Gambling in Nigeria

Nigeria often referred to as the Giant of Africa. That is so because it is home to over 190 million people. That makes the country one of the largest nations across the globe. There are a vast number of people who engage in gambling. People in Nigeria can place bets through live casino streaming, online gambling, and also in Land-based betting shops. Sports betting is, however, the most common betting activity among Nigerian players.

The laws governing gambling in Nigeria are somewhat ambiguous. In 2004 the first official online lottery service was introduced in the country. Shortly after this, two bookmakers were launched, one in Abuja and the other two in Lagos. The introduction of these bookies was mostly meant for tourists, over the years, Nigerian players have had opportunities for gambling online, and they have been accepted by some of the biggest bookmakers in the world.

Nigerian players have an appetite for slot games and table games. As mentioned above, Nigerian bookmakers were at first meant for foreign players, but over the years the bookies boast of hosting local Nigerian players in large numbers.

Is gambling in Nigeria legal?

Matters about gambling laws in Nigeria can be quite confusing because there is no clear cut law that addresses gambling in the West African Nation. Nigeria has two federal Acts that talk about gambling in terms of what is illegal and legal. One of these Acts is the Gaming Machines (Prohibition) Act of 1977. This Act specifies that ownership and the use of gaming machines in Nigeria are illegal. It also states that people caught in ownership of these machines can be convicted to one year in prison without an option of a fine.

It also states that the proceeds received from the gambling machines are liable for confiscation by the Nigerian Government. The Nigerian Criminal Code Act talks about legal and illegal businesses where an illegal gaming house defined as property or venue were unlawful gambling takes place. In this Act, players told what is permitted by gambling laws and what is not permitted by these laws. In Nigeria, there are only three lawful types of gambling; they include lotteries, betting, or pools and also a handful of land casinos.

Online gambling is not allowed by the Nigerian Government. Anyone or any organization that is caught hosting an online gambling site within Nigerian borders is liable for prosecution or a fine or also a prison sentence or all. However, the Nigerian Government finds it challenging to prevent Nigerian citizens from signing up with online bookmakers that favour Nigerian players and offshore owned bookies that welcome Nigerian players.

Online sports betting is widely accepted since it is also allowed at licensed land-based gambling venues. In spite of all these laws, offshore gambling sites offer Nigerian players real money gambling opportunities making them popular among Nigerian citizens.

Do Nigerian players get restricted by some bookmakers? Why?

There are relatively few online casinos that restrict Nigerian players from signing in, depositing and playing in their sites. Nonetheless, many Nigerian and foreign bookmakers accept Nigerian punters. They also provide Nigerian betting applications. One of the reasons why some bookmakers may restrict Nigerian players is if they are underage.

There are no restrictions put forth on foreign punters living in Nigeria on matters of placing bets in online bookmakers.

How much tax do you pay on gambling winnings in Nigeria?

In Nigeria, gambling winnings not taxed. However, gaming operators are required to pay some taxes and levies to be allowed to operate.

About the gambling market

The gambling market in Nigeria is regulated and licensed by the National Lottery Regulatory Authority. There are only a few gambling licenses issued by the Board. There are also very few online gambling sites based in Nigeria. There is no reference put forth about online gaming in Nigeria. Nigerian players are allowed to place bets with other foreign betting sites. Many gaming sites accept bets from Nigerians, and these customers provided with unique bonuses and promotions. Some bookmakers offer small promotions such as Betdaq, RedBet, and BetAdonis.

Other trusted bookies in Nigeria include LSBet and Casino-Mate. Games such as poker are quite popular in the Nigerian market, and fans of poker can choose to play this game from some reputable sites. Other common gambling sites include BetSafe and BoyleSports. According to Ademola Adebajo, who is the head of one of the largest football betting services providers in Nigeria, Nigeria is estimated to be betting up to 2bn Naira according to KPMG. This figure has been expected to be climbing up year after year.

This growth is in contrast to the moderate economic growth of Nigeria in the last few years, especially the abrupt decline in 2016.

Most popular betting features and options in Nigeria

• Live Betting
  Wazobet supports in-play betting on several live events. There is an in-play tab that takes you through all the live events available at the betting site. The in-play feature or the live betting feature is also available at Bet9ja and 1×Bet showcasing mostly football events.
• Cash-out option
  This option is also available at Wazobet and other popular betting sites for Nigerian players. A cash-out option allows players to save their bets. They can be able to cash-out their bets before the game is over. It also allows you to minimize losses and also lock in a portion of your profits.
• Live streaming
  It is available for sportsbooks. You can find this feature for virtual sports, in Wazobet betting site and Bet9ja bookmaker, live events can be transmitted in real-time though most of these live streaming sites need a bit of improvement.

Available bonuses for Nigerian players

There are plenty of betting bonuses available for Nigerian players on various betting sites. Bet9ja online bookmaker has excellent bonuses for new Nigerian players. There is a 100% up to Naira 100,000 welcome bonus offer. At Betfair, Nigerian players can get an incredible £100 sign up bonus offer for new players, which is equivalent to five times your initial deposit amount.

Other bonuses offered by Nigerian casinos include the no deposit free spins bonus. It is made available upon registration. You only need to register, and you will be awarded lovely free spins. In case you deposit at various recommended casinos you can get over 100 no deposit free spins. With the no deposit free spins players can get some free casino rounds at different slot machines. Terms and conditions apply to these bonuses and promotions, and you should make sure to go through them.

The favourite sports of Nigerian bettors

In Nigeria, the most popular sport for bettors is European football or soccer. The English Premier League is the most dominant force in the football scene. In Nigeria, fans line up to watch games for local games on TV or in person. Due to the British influence in Nigeria, there are plenty of football betting pools that introduced in the country in the 1920s.

There are other sports that Nigerian bettors have access to such as the NBA basketball which has Giannis Antetokounmpo and Al-Farouq Aminu who are Nigerian citizens. Other popular sports among Nigerian bettors include rugby, cricket, and tennis. There are other games gaining popularity in Nigeria betting sites such as floorball and bandy.

Are online Casinos popular in the market?

The legal gaming laws in Nigeria do not allow online bookmakers to operate in Nigerian borders. The law does not allow these gaming sites to provide luck-based games. However, these games are quite common at different online gaming sites, and Nigerian players can access them from these sites. They can enjoy their favourite games such as craps, roulette, card games. Others include poker, slot games and other many games that can play from online sites.

That said it is important to note that gambling online in all its forms and also online casinos have become quite common among Nigerian citizens. The gaming industry has plenty of online bookmakers that are in search of new players.

Currency and preferred payment methods in Nigeria

When it comes to depositing money at Nigerian run bookmakers, Nigerians face some difficulties. In the past, e-wallets such as Neteller and Skrill that were favoured by many betting sites were not available to Nigerian residents. However, this problem is slowly being resolved, and the situation may change in the coming years.

When it comes to betting sites, Nigerians can use banking options with e-wallet services such as Paysafecard and Click2Pay. They can also use Debit cards such as Naira Mastercard, Visa, and Interswitch, which is quite easy, quick and conducive. Other methods include Direct Bank Deposits where you can deposit your funds with Nigerian banks such as UBA, Fidelity Bank, and Union Bank. You can also pay an agent or pay at the ATM.

Bookies with mobile apps for Nigerian customers

The growing popularity in online betting founded on mobile betting. Players with mobile devices find it extremely easy to place bets. That has led to an increase in the number of Nigerian players who place bets to 30%. Gamblers, especially the youth, place bets on their phones regularly. Bets can be placed by Nigerians playing at a Nigerian-based sportsbook or offshore sportsbooks. Most of the popular bookmakers available for Nigerian players have mobile apps. Bet9ja mobile app has a very easy layout to follow with several sports and games to bet.

The mobile app also gives Nigerian players the opportunity of enjoying sports betting with some of the best odds. This app allows transmission of live events and even bets on politics. Merrybet Mobile app, Lovingbet are also among popular mobile apps for Nigerian bettors.

Conclusion

Nigerian players are sometimes confused on which is the best betting site to register. As mentioned in the text, plenty of factors need to be considered to find various licensed bookmakers. It is crucial to make plenty of research on all betting sites to find the top and best betting sites in Nigeria.

FAQs