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In this article, we are going to talk about the legality of sports betting in Nigeria and list the best and perfectly legal online sportsbooks that accept Nigerian players.
We will also tell you which websites to stay out of, what payment methods to use, how to play on mobile devices, and more.
Stay tuned!
Legal Nigerian Sports Betting Sites
Below you will find a list of the finest sports betting platforms that accept Nigerian players.
By choosing one of these sites, you will enjoy a wide selection of markets, plenty of rewarding bonuses and promotions, and many other exciting features. Enjoy!
| Rank | Rooms | Expert Score | Signup Bonus | Play Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
5/5 Read Review
|
 |
107 user ratings |
Deposit $25, Get up to $2500 (T&Cs apply, 18+) |
Get Bonus! |
|
2
4/5 Read Review
|
 |
93 user ratings |
50% up to $200 (T&Cs apply, 18+) |
Get Bonus! |
|
3
3.5/5 Read Review
|
 |
30 user ratings |
300% Casino Match / 50% Sports Match (T&Cs apply, 18+) |
Get Bonus! |
|
4
5/5 Read Review
|
 |
109 user ratings |
50% up to $250+$100 Welcome Bet (T&Cs apply, 18+) |
Get Bonus! |
|
5
4.8/5 Read Review
|
 |
109 user ratings |
100% up to $500 (T&Cs apply, 18+) |
Get Bonus! |
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Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Nigeria?
When the Criminal Code Act was set in place in 1990, a lot of gambling forms were made illegal in Nigeria. However, there were few exceptions, especially regarding skill-based games like poker and backgammon.
But what about online sports betting?
Since the 1990 Criminal Code Act was set out before online gambling platforms even existed, this particular form of gambling is not mentioned in the law books. That puts online sports betting and other forms of online gambling in the so-called gray area.
In other words, online sportsbooks that accept Nigerian players are technically not illegal, making them safe to play on. Additionally, there are a few legal sportsbook operators that offer their services within the country. They are licensed and regulated by either the Lagos State Lottery Board or the National Lottery Regulatory Commission.
The minimum gambling age in Nigeria is 18.
While many forms of gambling are illegal in Nigeria, there are many betting websites that allow players from that country to play online. Not only are their online casinos available to Nigerians, but also online poker and bingo.
Blacklisted Nigerian Sportsbooks
BetCascade
- Slow payments
- Unpaid winnings to players
- Sketchy acquisitions
BetWinner
- Blacklisted by the NLRC
- Poor website design
- Confusing bonus terms
BetBiga
- Blacklisted by the NLRC
- Slow payments
- Changing terms
Selecting Top Nigerian Sports Betting Sites
If you ever tried to find safe, legal, and high-quality online sportsbooks in Nigeria, you know how hard of a task that can be. There are plenty of factors to consider, and some can easily fly over your head, which you might regret later.
That’s why the best solution is to let other people find Nigerian sportsbook sites for you.
We have spent countless hours examining sports betting sites for Nigerian players. After we’ve done so, we created a list of the ones we considered to be the cream of the crop. Here’s how we did it.
Why You Should Trust Legal Gambling
Our website was created with the purpose to share insightful information about some of the best sportsbooks and casino sites in the world.
We employ the best experts in the industry who know everything about gambling laws in specific regions of the world and who have a keen eye for spotting quality gambling platforms.
All of our experts are veteran sports bettors as well. The websites they selected are some of the same sportsbook sites that they play on from time to time.
How We Made Sure That These Sites Are Safe and Legal
One of the first things that we do when entering a given sportsbook is to check information about their licensing.
If a website owns an official license from one of the reputable online gambling jurisdictions, we can cross that off the checklist and move onward.
Next, we make sure that a betting site has proper security measures such as SSL encryption technology and firewalls, both of which protect players’ information and secure all monetary transactions completed on the website.
Once we confirm that as well, we can start looking at the website’s contents.
What We Pay Attention to When Reviewing Nigerian Sports Betting Sites
There are plenty of safe and legal sports betting sites that accept Nigerian players. However, it’s not enough for a sportsbook to have proper licensing and security measures in order to make it on our list.
A quality sports betting platform needs to have a good website design that provides easy navigation. It also needs to cover all the popular sports betting markets such as:
In-play betting and mobile compatibility are a must, together with rewarding welcome bonuses and other promotions.
We pay attention to all of these things when reviewing sports betting sites in Nigeria. Additionally, we check to see:
- What payment methods are accepted
- How responsive is the customer support
- Whether the site’s terms and conditions are clear and not too demanding
Sports Betting Industry in Nigeria
Nigeria is a sport-loving nation, so it comes as no surprise that sports betting enjoys quite a large popularity here. While most bets are still placed in land-based bookie shops, there is an increased number of bettors who play online in the last five years.
The increase in regulation and an influx of foreign entrants have resulted in a higher number of regulated sportsbook sites, but also more reliable and modern software solutions that allow Nigerian sports bettors to use high-quality platforms on a daily basis.
There are currently not any websites that are licensed in Nigeria. So, when talking about online betting websites for Nigerians, we are talking about those that accept Nigerian players. That may sound specialised but is not as most of the popular and reputable online betting websites make bet options available to all players equally. This includes the type of odds you will have access to, the type of promotions, the level of security and support as well as the level of loyalty and VIP perks.
However there are legal online betting websites for Nigerian players, which you can see above. If you are aware of the laws pertaining to gambling in Nigeria you are able to see which sites are legitimate and which ones are not. It is increasingly difficult today to find betting sites that are not licensed, and that is a good thing for the industry, those sites that take their responsibilities of their license seriously are the most ideal to register and play with.
When you consider the costs involved in opening a casino, purchasing the software, establishing operations and ensuring financials are in place as per the licensing requirements, it is a safe bet most take those responsibilities quite seriously and therefore are not willing to breach any terms and conditions.
Nigerian law is rather murky when it comes to online gambling as its law does not mention anything relating to online gaming. This, in essence, makes playing online 100% legal and that will remain so unless the government makes changes to the 1990 Criminal Code Act.
While there are not any licensed online betting sites in Nigeria, there are plenty that caters to Nigerians, and for the most part, this is ideal as situations can be unstable at times and having an offshore casino to play with allows you peace of mind that funds are safe at all times.
In-Play Betting
After it was made available a few years ago, in-play betting took Nigerian sports bettors by storm. Today, almost every legal Nigerian sportsbook has an in-play betting feature, allowing you to place wagers while the event is taking place.
At first, only a few major events were available for live betting, but today, Nigerians can place in-play bets on almost every fixture.
Mobile Sports Betting in Nigeria
Like almost everywhere else in the world, the popularity of mobile betting in Nigeria is rising. This is made even easier by increasing mobile internet users in Nigeria, estimated to reach 64.9% by 2025.
Mobile compatibility was one of the aspects that we looked into while creating a list of the best Nigerian sports betting sites.
Not only do these operators have well-designed mobile sites, but some of them also offer mobile apps that you can download to your iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.
Popular Payment Methods for Nigerian Players
Nigerians have plenty of safe and reliable payment methods at their disposal when it comes to online gambling deposits and withdrawals.
These include both local and international online payment services that are accepted by the vast majority of sports betting sites.
Here are some of the most popular online payment methods for sport betting in Nigeria:
- Credit/debit cards — Visa, Naira Mastercard, Interswitch, Verve;
- E-wallets — PayPal, Neteller, Skrill;
- ATM payments — Quickteller;
- Direct bank deposit — Union Bank, UBA, FCMB, Access Bank, Sterling Bank, etc;
- Online banking — GT Bank, EmailMoni;
- Online payment transfer — PayCom
Future of Sports Betting in Nigeria
Considering that sports betting in Nigeria is growing more popular with each passing year, it is logical to assume that this trend will continue in the near future.
There were over 100 casino and sportsbook sites licensed by the NLRC and LSLB in 2019.
We expect to see that number rise, especially given the fact that a lot of foreign companies are interested in Nigerian sports betting market, creating new mergers and acquisitions of local betting operators.
Responsible Gambling
While the number of online bettors in Nigeria rises, so does the number of problem gamblers. Sports betting is only fun if you do it responsibly. However, for some people, this type of gambling can easily turn into an addiction and sadly for Nigerians there is not much in the way of local help.
If you feel like your sports betting habits have gone out of control, here are a few useful links that will redirect you to some of the best online gambling therapy programs in Nigeria:
- Gambling Therapy — Practical online help for problem gamblers from across the world, organizing online meetings and therapy sessions for all registered members.
- HelpGuide— Useful information about problem gambling and the signs to look out for.
Final Thoughts
We hope that you found what you were looking for while reading this article.
The list we provided includes the best and most trusted online sportsbook operators that accept Nigerian players. Therefore, we can promise that you will get fair treatment and enjoy high-quality sports wagering if you pick one of them. Good luck!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are someone who is new to the world of sports betting, you most likely will have some questions about how it works. Of course, not all questions can be answered in his article but we wanted to touch base on those most common to offer you some insight on what you can expect.
Am I am to make tote bets online?
Will I see better odds online?
What is the process for claiming free bets?
Are there any age restrictions for playing online?
How long does it take for my bets to be settled?
Ryan Knuppel Author
Ryan (aka Knup) has been writing sports betting content for over a decade now. He covers anything and everything related to United Stats sports including football, basketball, baseball, golf and more. He has finished first place in several gambling related contests over the years which gives him instant credibility in the betting world. Ryan is a die-hard St. Louis...
