Nigeria’s Online Gambling Market Poised to Cross $500 Million in 2025
While the online sector is projected to reach more than the $500 million mark in 2025 on its own, the general gambling industry—combinating online and offline operations together—is projected to reach a staggering $3.63 billion by the same year. And so, Nigeria takes its place in the ranks of the biggest gambling industries in Africa, and even in the world. The sheer size of growth and the width of gambling activities propelling this growth demonstrate the extent to which wagering has taken root in the social and digital landscape of Nigeria.
Football at the Center of Day-to-Day Betting
Some of the strongest figures are those that show just how large and mainstream the business is. There are about 60 million Nigerians that bet daily, led by football. The popularity of football is no surprise—European leagues, particularly the English Premier League, have near-cult status amongst Nigerians. There are tens of millions of people who watch their team every weekend, and to many, placing a bet has become a way of increasing the excitement.
Aside from international leagues, national competitions and continental competitions are now also finding their space in the betting economy. The Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), CAF Champions League, and even friendly international matches are getting more betting focus. This daily activity depicts how gambling is no longer a marginal activity but an ordinary pastime habit woven into normal Nigerian life.
Growing Popularity of Online Casinos
Though sport betting takes most of the stakes, online casinos are marking their territory in Nigeria. Although still in their early stages, online casino websites that trade in slots, roulette, blackjack, poker, and computer simulated card games are beginning to get serious attention, particularly from the youth seeking diversified means of entertainment.
Industry estimates suggest that online casino game revenue will increase from $254.5 million in 2024 to $325.4 million by 2028. The steady growth trend reflects an unmistakable demand for pastimes outside of football and is a harbinger of a more varied, diversified iGaming culture. If regulatory frameworks materialize to facilitate this segment, Nigeria should see even more rapid adoption in the years ahead.
Casinos also attract a different demographic than that drawn by sports betting, albeit one not quite as mass-market-oriented as football betting. Whereas wagers on football tend to attract the masses, social profiles of urban professionals, women, and middle-income individuals drawn to the social nature of digital gaming over pure sports gambling will widen the industry’s reach.
Live Casino Games
So-called live dealer games are another growing trend of the internet casino industry. These games use streaming technology to connect players to real game tables with real dealers, bringing authentic casino experiences to Nigerian gamers.
Live tables with games like roulette and blackjack are especially popular in Nigeria thanks to their immersive visuals, social elements, and creative game design. You can find out more about live casinos, how they work, and how to access them in Nigeria here on LiveCasinos.com, one of the world’s leading sites dedicated to this form of entertainment.
Mobile Betting Dominates
Perhaps the most defining characteristic of Nigeria’s gambling industry is the dominance of mobile transactions. An estimated 90 percent of all online gambling activity happens through smartphones. This remarkable figure reflects not just the convenience of mobile betting platforms but also the broader way Nigerians manage much of their financial, social, and entertainment lives via handheld devices.
Bookmaking companies have spent huge amounts of money reducing their apps to address this demand. Live streaming of games, cash-out options, instant push notifications, smooth payment platforms, and loyalty rewards made mobile interfaces more appealing than desktop or high-street betting shops. To many individuals, their betting app is as important as their messaging or banking application, securing mobile’s position as market leader in the sector.
More Market Insights
In addition to the headline numbers, several other metrics give a sense of the extent and diversity of Nigeria’s gambling industry:
Average Bet Size: Bets tend to be small, and most in the range of ₦100 to ₦500. This micro-betting trend makes gambling accessible to every socio-economic segment, from students at university to wage employees. Operators rely on volume rather than high-stakes bets, dealing with millions of minuscule bets that translate to huge revenues.
Regional Distribution: The major urban centers such as Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt remain the profitability drivers of online gambling, fueled by expanding internet penetration and disposable incomes. Rural uptake is slowly rising, however. With mobile network providers expanding 4G—and soon 5G—coverage to less penetrated regions, emerging cohorts are entering the betting space.
Operator Day-to-Day Activity: Top betting websites process millions of wagers each day, with significant spikes when world championship football matches are played between top heavyweights such as Manchester United and Liverpool or El Clásico. International events such as the FIFA World Cup and the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) push activity to record levels, with operators registering two or three times their usual traffic.
Gender Participation: Men dominate the majority of the betting market, but women are also becoming an important demographic in online casino games, mobile lotteries, and skill games. This low-key but steady trend could further expand the market base in future years.
Nigeria vs. Other African Gambling Markets
By comparing Nigeria with other African gamblers’ leaders, it is easier to understand Nigeria’s trajectory:
