Football betting in Nigeria has a long history. It dates back to colonial times when pool betting was very popular among the แทงบอลออนไลน์. More people are now betting on football results, including European league football.
There are many places where you can place a wager. You can open an online account with a betting company using a debit card and place bets via the app.
According to a report, 60 million Nigerians aged between 18 and 40 participate in active sports betting. They spend N2 billion a day on sports betting. This amounts to approximately N730 billion per year. This is huge in an economy with a budget of almost N11 trillion for 2020.
There are two factors that have contributed to the increase in football betting among Nigerian youth. The other is an increase in poverty and unemployment. Around 87 million of Nigeria’s 200 million population are considered extremely poor. In 2018, the youth unemployment rate was 36.5%.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics in the third quarter of 2018, 29.7% of young people between 15 and 34 years old were unemployed. The betting industry can seem like a quick way to make money as either a gambling operator or a gambler.
The second factor that has enabled and driven football betting in Nigeria is the increasing use of smart phones and the internet. 84% of Nigerians owned a mobile phone in 2017. Based on data from the Nigerian Communication Commission, Nigeria has 122 million internet users. This number is almost half of Nigeria’s population. Access to internet is affordable in Nigeria, with internet costs starting at N100 (less that US$1), and connectivity is guaranteed. People can place online bets using their smartphones. It’s easy and convenient.
I was curious about the possible consequences of this situation on Nigerian society, especially for young people. I was interested in whether online betting, especially for young people who are economically struggling, caused any social problems like conflict, crime and addiction.
I conducted in-depth interviews of football fans, betters, parents, guardians, and security personnel. I also interviewed owners and operators betting outlets and football viewing centers in Lagos, Oyo State (south west Nigeria) and Yola, Adamawa State (north east Nigeria). Additionally, I collected data from online news reports that included betting activity and also observed it.
Based on my observations and interviews, I discovered a connection between young Nigerians betting on football and an increase in crime and violence. However, I believe the solution is not to ban such betting, but to address the poverty and unemployment that encourage people to do it.
Behaviour Around Betting
I have observed and interviewed teenagers who rob to finance their football betting. In Adamawa State, I was at a security meeting where parents complained that their children/wards had stolen their money in unprecedented numbers to finance football betting. Adamawa State parent who was interviewed said that:
On a daily basis, I noticed money being lost in my house. It was initially a misplacement. I began to hear my neighbors complaining about money loss in their homes. Later, we discovered that it was our sons who stole the money to bet on football. We see them every day with the receipts and know that they don’t have any business where they can get the money.
These teenager gamblers spend N1,000 (about $2), and N3,000 (about $7) daily, according to interactions. The jackpot is rarely reached. Customers are regularly warned about fighting at football viewing centers. I was told by a Yola operator that he had seen fighting at a viewing center.
Recent times have seen violence outbreaks among พนันบอลออนไลน์. These fights can stem from long-standing unresolved issues. Sometimes it’s because of an anger over a major loss in football betting. Sometimes, football betting can encourage ritualism, particularly the use of luck charms. One gambler I spoke with said:
Without any spiritual enhancement, you cannot simply put large sums of money in betting. You will continue to give your money to the managers and staff of betting companies while being broke. Even operators of bet companies use spiritual power to make sure their clients don’t win…
Moralists especially from religious circles have called for the government’s criminalization of betting, particularly football betting. During an Islamic sermon in Yola, Adamawa State, I witnessed two of these discussions. One state was actually urged to make the first step. This is unlikely to prove effective. This would push gambling into the background, making it harder for the government regulate and control it. Instead, the government should pay more attention to widespread poverty as well as unemployment.