Nigerian youths’ gaming addiction, especially football betting, has become a source of worry to many parents, community leaders and others charged with the responsibility of grooming the young people into adulthood.
Although gambling is a popular human activity with a long history spanning several centuries, the industry has significantly grown, spreading across various countries of the world, including Nigeria.
While pool betting was introduced in Nigeria as far back as the 1920s during British colonial rule, lately, it has morphed from games played in casinos to virtual sports betting.
However, it is wild how betting has quietly become the one thing that unites Nigerians, including students, workers, underage people, grown men, and, surprisingly, women.
Nigerians are seen daily at betting centres placing bets on various football matches, sports personalities, and other sporting activities.
People laugh about cut tickets and shout, “What is cashout?” but behind the jokes are people losing money, focus, sleep, and, in some cases, their lives.
Devastating Consequences
Data from the National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF) indicates that around 65 million Nigerians engage in regular betting activities, with an average daily expenditure of $15 per person.
Over time, some Nigerians have cried out on social media about losing house rent and school fees to sports betting.
In January 2026, a 300-level Computer Science student at Ibrahim Babangida University, Lapai (Niger State), Kelvin Danlami, committed suicide after losing house rent money entrusted to him to gambling.
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While many do it for fun, others see it as a way to put food on their table, but if sports betting is really working, it would not be cutting this many people every week.
The current trend of betting is no longer just entertainment; it is quietly eating deep into the minds of a generation that already feels trapped, killing many silently.
Shift From ‘Leisure Activity’ To ‘Survival Strategy’
A FIFA-Licensed Agent and former Managing Director at Betland, Babajimi Ogunlana, in an interview with Naija News, spoke candidly about the growing sports betting culture among Nigerian youths, drawing on both his industry experience and his advocacy for responsible gaming.
He said, “I am not anti-betting, I am anti-exploitation. I am pro-integrity, and I strongly believe in responsible gaming.”
According to him, the addictive nature of sports betting among Nigerian youths is not accidental but structural. “You have high unemployment, economic pressure, and a strong football culture. When passion meets financial desperation, risk appetite increases. With just ₦100 and a smartphone, anyone can bet 24/7. Add accumulator ‘near-miss’ psychology, and many young people feel they are always one game away from a breakthrough.”
On whether existing legislation is enough to protect vulnerable citizens, Ogunlana is cautious but clear. “Regulation exists, but enforcement has not caught up with digital reality. Age verification can be weak, compliance monitoring inconsistent, and cross-border platforms complicate oversight. If we don’t modernise our framework with loss limits, cooling-off systems, ad restrictions, and proper mental health funding from betting taxes, we risk turning this into a public health challenge.”
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Addressing the moral debate around government revenue from betting, he insists the conversation must shift. “The issue is not whether the government earns billions. The real question is: how much of that revenue is reinvested into prevention, education, and rehabilitation? If betting is legal, accountability must be mandatory.”
Speaking on celebrity-driven betting promotions, Ogunlana stated, “When influencers present betting as a hustle or smart investment, it distorts risk perception. Betting is mathematically designed for long-term operator profitability. Highlighting winners without discussing probability creates unrealistic expectations and escalated loss behaviour. Marketing must evolve from persuasion to transparency.”
He emphasised that protecting vulnerable citizens requires collective responsibility. “We need stronger age verification, loss caps, proper risk disclosures, financial literacy in schools, visible self-exclusion tools, and industry-funded addiction support. At the same time, we must protect football integrity from match manipulation risks.”
Reflecting on his own journey, Ogunlana concludes: “I have led betting operations. I understand revenue, margins, and customer psychology. But I also understand young Nigerians. Betting is not evil. Unchecked betting is dangerous. The solution is not prohibition, it is a responsible structure, strict enforcement, and ethical marketing. Nigeria must decide: do we want a betting economy, or a betting society? Those are two very different futures.”
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