Online Sports Betting in Nigeria
Sports betting is a wide-spread form of entertainment in Nigeria. We love the excitement it gives. The Online betting market here is the largest in the African continent. There are over 20 legal bookmakers to bet on sports in Nigeria.
Match.Center has collected information on the bookies that provide their customers with a wide range of markets to bet on and cover a lot of tournaments. You can download an app or use a mobile version and the have good promos. They care about the level of their technical support and user experience. We rate them all and review their promotions.
List of the Sports Betting Sites: June 2023
- Up to 1500 betting markets
- The largest range of events to bet on
- A lot of languages available
- Non-sporting betting markets
- Many betting markets (up to 1500)
- Many Esports competitions to bet on
- Large range of sports and betting markets
- Many promotions for existing and new clients
- Marked reliable by millions of users
- Large range of sports to bet on (25 sections)
- User-friendly interface (desktop and mobile)
- Good welcome bonus and many promos for active users
Sports Betting in Nigeria
There are around a couple of dozen bookmakers who are eligible to accept bets from Nigerians. They have licenses issued by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) or the Lagos State Lotteries Board (LSLB). The information about the license is provided on the websites of a bookmaker and regulatory organizations. Some of them are Nigeria based although we have many international companies operating in our market as well, for example 1XBet, Betway, and several others. So the Nigerian market is interesting for businesses abroad.
The Nigerian punters can bet on football, basketball, tennis, table tennis, baseball, American football, horse racing, martial arts, boxing, volleyball, and even Esports. Even quite exotic sports like ice hockey, darts, bandy, or water polo are included. You can bet on politics and entertainment too.
There are many fans of online betting in our country. Not many people have personal computers, but almost everyone has a smartphone. It’s very convenient to place bets online as you can do it wherever the Internet connection is available. You can either download an app, although iOS apps are uncommon for Nigeria, or use a mobile version of the website. Bets are placed in a couple of taps and all the functions remain easy to do, you can deposit money, withdraw it, etc, etc.
The advantages of online betting:
- Easy to download an app
- Swift making a bet
- Available almost everywhere you are
- All desktop functions kept
How to start betting on sports online?
Finding a suitable sports betting site
The Nigerian online sports betting market offers a wide range of bookmakers. Match.Center is here to describe the best of them. Our experts have revealed the top 3 Nigerian bookmakers. More details on them below.
betBonanza
The bookmaker has been providing services since 2014. It is officially licensed by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission and the Lagos State Lotteries Board. Besides sports betting, betBonanza offers casino games and virtual sports.
There are a lot of markets presented on the bookmaker’s website. You can bet on football, including the English Premier League and other most prominent leagues, tennis, basketball, baseball, and many more. Political events like federal elections are also the possible options for the Nigerian bettors.
The bookmaker has a bunch of promo offers for their clients. Most of them are sports betting related and you can choose the one that fits you best. However, betBonanza has a significant disadvantage as there is no app for any platform, instead only a mobile version is available.
- Many promotions
- A good offer of sports and markets to choose
- A wide range of technical support options
1xBet
The bookmaker was granted a license from the National Lottery Regulatory Commission in September 2019. Sports betting, Esports, and casino games are available for you to bet online. 1XBET has apps for both Android and iOS platforms, which is an uncommon thing for Nigeria.
Nigerians can bet on dozens of sports, from the most popular like football to pretty exotic ones like biathlon. There are over 1 000 events offered to the customers. Many markets available for live betting. Users can create accounts in cryptocurrency.
Customers of 1XBET have access to a bunch of promos. There are over a dozen different offers for online betting and casino games.
- A wide range of markets and promos
- Apps for Android and iOS
- Cryptocurrency accounts available
- Low level of customer support competence
Bet9ja
The bookmaker has been operating in sports betting since 2013. It is the largest operator of sports betting in Nigeria. It holds the license of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC). The company provides both betting and casino services for the Nigerian customers. The website was listed amongst the most popular and visited portals in Africa in 2020. The sportsbook is considered very trustworthy by the Nigerian bettors.
You can place bets using a personal computer, a laptop, or a smartphone. There is an Android app available for the users. Unfortunately, bet9ja has no iOS application.
The bookmaker offers a wide range of sports to bet on. The markets are not limited to just the most popular tournaments. Customers can choose from a variety of lower leagues competitions as well. There is also a welcome bonus for new clients.
- The most popular African bookmaker
- Welcome bonus
- A lot of markets available
Open a betting account
To start betting you need to open an account first. To do this click on the “Register” button which is normally placed in the upper right corner of a bookmaker’s website. Then you’ll need to fill in a form that contains basic personal information, i.e. name, phone number, E-mail address. You also usually need to accept the terms and conditions provided by each sportsbook.
Many bookmakers require account verification after registration is completed.
The verification process depends on each bookmaker. New users are usually supposed to send the images of their passports to confirm their identity and their age. In an attempt to combat fraud some other personal information may be required depending on a bookmaker like a picture of a bettor, video conference with technical support, or even utility bills.
The verification process normally doesn’t demand a lot from a new customer. Additional information is only necessary for a few bookmakers only and in case there are some suspicions about identity data.
Deposit money into your account
After your account is created and identity is verified you can deposit money to start placing bets. Nigerian betting sites offer a wide range of payment methods. Particular options depend on a bookmaker, although the most common methods are provided by all legal Nigerian bookmakers.
The payment methods include:
- Debit and Credit cards
- Online money transfers
- E-wallets
- Betting shop deposits
- Bank deposits
- Cryptocurrencies
Minimum deposit amounts vary depending on which payment method is used. However, normally the minimum amount is ₦100. Most of the popular methods are fee-free, but some providers include different fees that in some cases may be equal to the minimum deposit. We recommend you to read through the details in the respective section of each bookmaker’s website.
Get a Welcome Bonus
Almost every
bookmaker in Nigeria offers a Welcome Bonus for new customers. They all have different requirements for roll over.
So you need to read carefully about the terms to choose the best one for you. Our experts believe that the best welcome bonus currently provided in Nigeria is the one of N1bet.
To get the welcome bonus of 300% of the deposit amount (₦500 000 max.) from this bookmaker you need to go through a few steps:
Register and verify your account.
Settled bets with coefficients of 1.1 and higher, regardless if they win or lose, contribute to the sum of the next installment.
The bonus is provided in installments as free bets. Once the sum of the next installment is equal to the bettor’s current average bet, the bettor gets a free bet which equals his current average bet. The amount of the received free bet is subtracted from the bonus sum, and the accumulation of the next installment starts over.
Free bets expire in three days and they should be used only for distinct and combined bets in the “Sports” and “In-Play” sections.
Start betting
The Sports betting section is usually neighboring the casino part for most of the Nigerian bookmakers. When you start betting on a website choose the sports section. Usually the first thing a user can see after choosing a betting part is the live events.
Live on the first screen of the sports betting section
You can choose the list of the upcoming events and the sports you need. Nigerians bet on football, basketball, and tennis most of all. Bookmakers offer all the possible sports. The most popular sports are normally placed above the others.
Football has a lot more markets available compared to the other sports. At least several dozen are offered every day.
To make a bet you need to choose a game and an event, and click on the odds. Then you can fill in a bet slip typing an amount you want to stake.
A typical bet slip
You will see the possible return immediately after the amount of bet is filled in. For example, if you bet 1 000 Naira on an event with the odds at 1.68 you will get 680 Nairas if your stake finally wins. To make a combined bet or a system just add additional events in your bet slip.
Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Nigeria?
Yes, all licensed bookmakers that operate on the Nigerian market are legal. They’re officially licensed by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) or the Lagos State Lotteries Board (LSLB). However, you can easily visit a website of an unlicensed bookmaker as they’re not really prosecuted by the local authorities. Still in this case you really risk your money because not all the unlicensed bookmakers will treat you in a fair way.
Match.Center strongly recommends you to place bets on legal websites only. So you will avoid extra problems. We review only the bookmakers regulated by the respective Nigerian authorities.
Online sports betting in Nigeria FAQs
Are online sports betting sites in Nigeria safe and legal?
Yes, online sports betting in Nigeria is legal. At least this is the case when you visit the websites of the bookmakers that hold the license of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) or the Lagos State Lotteries Board (LSLB). This license certifies that a bookmaker works to the regulation established by the Nigerian government. It is safe to provide your personal data and deposit money as all the bookmakers are regularly monitored and they’re legally responsible for the services they provide. This is why we recommend you to choose a legal bookmaker. Otherwise no one can assure you that your data and money are really safe.
What sports can I bet on in Nigeria online?
Nigerians bet on a lot of different sports. And local bookmakers offer as many options as possible. You can bet on such popular sports like football, tennis, basketball, volleyball, or handball. The other sports are offered, too: Australian rules football, ice hockey, snooker, and many more. Bettors can find whatever they like to place a bet. Live betting also includes many markets. It contains even the lower leagues.
Which online betting sites accept Nigerian Naira?
All Nigerian bookmakers accept Naira. Deposits, withdrawals, promo offers: everything is provided in Naira. To make a deposit with the Nigerian currency you can use debit or credit card, bank transfer, e-wallets. You can also make a deposit via offline betting shops, bank branches, and even ATMs. Available payment methods may vary depending on the bookmaker. Minimum deposit and fees depend on a payment method. It is common that you need to deposit at least ₦100 to start betting. Around half of the payment methods available are fee-free.
What is the best online sports betting site?
The bookmaker that fits you best can be chosen by several factors. We provide relevant and important information for you to make a choice. We believe that the best Nigerian bookmaker currently is bet9ja. It’s officially licensed and it’s been operating for many years. Today this website is amongst the most visited and popular in Africa. The bookmaker keeps on developing and offering various interesting promos. A bettor can encounter a lot of markets to bet on by browsing the sportsbook’s website.
What are odds in sports betting?
Odds in sports betting reflect the possibility of a particular event. The higher the odds are, the less likely it will happen. On the other hand, the lower the odds are, the more chances for an event to happen. For example, if odds for a home team to win are at 1.30 and for an away team to win are at 10, we have an obvious favorite. And it is the home team. Regardless if odds are high or if the odds are low, you always want to place bets which are good value. As long as the payout is greater than the chance of something happening, in the long run you will profit.
