GAMBLING IN NIGERIA, AN OVERVIEW
By: Okereke Nwaonuma Okoro
Tags: Gambling

GAMBLING IN NIGERIA, AN OVERVIEW

Introduction

Gambling has been an integral part of our social life and it is believed to be as old as the human race. The historical account of how gambling began is shrouded in conflicting records; for example, one historical account suggested that gambling originated from the practices of divination where lots were cast to determine future outcomes. Another historical account believed that six-sided dice existed in Mesopotamia around 3000 BC. Yet, some historians claim that China was the first place where the evidence of gambling was recorded through the discovery of tiles that were used for games of chance. However divergent the history may be, all the accounts point to the fact that gambling existed with the evolution of man. For the purpose of this article, I will use gambling and gaming interchangeably.

Stemming from the above historical accounts, gambling may have even existed in Africa even long before any other place. This is principally due to the fact that Sub-Saharan African indigenous religion and culture were embedded in divination and the practices are still prevalent. The earliest record of modern gambling in Nigeria could be traced to the advent of colonial powers who allowed the lottery as a means of revenue generation. During that time and a little after, other forms of gambling were not socially and culturally accepted and people who indulged in them were regarded as loafers, lazy and antisocial. That mindset is beginning to change as more and more gambling and gaming companies are starting to spring up and their outlets are dotted everywhere.

Conceptualizing Gambling

The britainica.com has defined “gambling as the betting or staking something of value, with the consciousness of risk and hope of gain, on the outcome of a game, a contest, or an uncertain event whose result may be determined by chance or accident or have an unexpected result by reason of the bettor’s miscalculation.” From the definition, it shows that gambling involves conscious parting of something that has value. It could be money, a house, a car, or something that is tangible and can be valued. The definition also elucidated the fact that it is a contest and a game that is highly risky and its outcome is not largely dependent on logic but luck. It further shows that gambling is essentially not dependent on skills, education, or knowledge but on chance and luck.

Types of Gambling in Nigeria

With a population of over 200 million, Nigeria is gradually becoming the hub of gambling in Africa. It is estimated that by 2023, the mobile gaming market in Nigeria alone will be worth more than 5 billion US dollars. The mobile gaming market in Nigeria includes the following:

1. Casinos. Casinos like shooting dice, spinning reels and playing card games appear to be the most enjoyable ways to win or lose money. Online casinos have changed the way casinos are played and enjoyed. It has made it possible to play casinos from anywhere at any time and it offers a wider selection of games. There are different types of games found in the Nigerian market. They include slots, blackjack, roulette, craps, video poker, and baccarat. Many of the casinos in Nigeria are found in big hotels in major cities in Nigeria.

2. Poker. Poker belongs to the card games in which the competing players wager over the value of cards of their hands. There are three major different types of Poker. They are; hold’em, 7 card stud, and Omaha. Poker is not popular as compared to Nigeria’s population and the size of its economy. The Lagos poker club is the only poker club in Nigeria but with the growth of the internet, it is expected that the interest in online poker will increase.

3. Lottery. The growth of the lottery became phenomenal in Nigeria with the establishment of the National Lottery Regulatory Commission. Proceeds from the lottery have been used to provide water and fight desertification. Although other varieties of lotteries abound such as scratch-offs and bingo and are played in different ways but generally, the lottery is played by choosing a set of 1 to 10 numbers from a list of 1 to 70 numbers. If the chosen number corresponds with the desired number, the person wins. These are the top lottery companies in Nigeria. They include but are not limited to Secure Electric Company, Premier Lotto Limited, and KC Lottery Limited.

4. Sports Betting. Sports betting is regarded as the oldest form of modern gambling. In Nigeria, sports betting is the most popular form of gaming. Young and old in every nook and cranny of Nigeria are involved in one way or the other in sports betting. Sports betting outlets are widespread in Nigeria. Even in the remotest area in Nigeria, you could find a betting outlet. The popularity of the European football league may have fueled this. It is estimated that the sports betting market in Nigeria is worth more than 2 billion dollars. Moneyline, Totals, Point Spread, and Prop Bets, and Specials are the different types of sports betting that could be found in Nigeria. The dominant sports betting companies in Nigeria are Bet9ja, Naira Bet Mobile, MerryBet, Betking, 1960bet, and BetWiner.

Regulatory framework

Gambling is regulated in Nigeria both at the federal level and the state level. At the federal level is the National Lottery Regulatory Commission. The regulation of gambling in Nigeria could be found in the act of 2007 that established the National Lottery Regulatory Commission. The law empowers the commission to regulate all activities that are concerned with lottery and allied activities as may be directed by the President. The are other laws that have some connection with the regulation of gambling in Nigeria, like the act of 2004 that established the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, The anti-money laundering act of 2004, The Advance Fee Fraud act, the Casino Taxation act of 1965, The Criminal Code Act, The Lagos State Lottery Board Law of 2008 and other laws enacted by various State Governments regulating gambling.

With this set of laws, it is safe to say that there is an effective regulatory framework to regulate the activities associated with gambling in Nigeria.

Conclusion

With a youthful population that constitutes the majority of Nigeria’s total population, the prospect of the growth of the gambling industry is high. What is required to be done is to improve basic infrastructure such as the power to reduce the cost of running a gambling business. Government should also strengthen regulation to weed out fraudsters who are beginning to infiltrate the business.