How football betting became popular in Africa

Football betting has become popular and has brought about a new  frenzy over the last decade in Africa. A quarter of the world’s population lives in Africa: a huge territory was divided among 54 young countries, most of which were colonies until recently. After gaining independence, these lands dived into a new set of tests. Formally free, they remained in the field of control of their former owners: economically, politically and culturally.

 

 

How football betting became popular in Africa

The path that bigger cities have walked for centuries, African societies need to overwhelm in a matter of years. And this applies to everything. Including the entertainment industry

Football is a real cult for Africa. According to the media, there are almost 300 million Premier League fans who regularly follow the broadcasts. More than 150 million can’t say no to mixing that with the gambling at the bookmaker’s office.

The betting websites became successful only in the last ten to twelve years. And given the specifics of the continent, the lack of uniform statistical databases and holes in the legislation of many countries, the bookmaker market is incredibly colourful, complex and criminalized in places. However, different big gambling operators, such as Sportbet, are available.

 

How much Olympic athletes from Africa earn.

 

Large countries such as Nigeria (190 million people) and South Africa (56 million) have recently made research on football betting and came to stunning results. The News Agency of Nigeria estimates that 60 million Nigerians (a third of the population) between the ages of 18 and 60 place bets every day, spending an average of three thousand Naira (roughly $ 7,30) on it.

90 000 Naira is spent per month, which is more than the average monthly salary in the country, and when translated into dollars it gets up to $ 220. In other words, a Nigerian who is keen on betting is ready to invest his monthly income in them.

https://ermcrigroup.com/2021/08/09/african-leaders-want-world-bank-to-give-them-100b/

In 2018, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) found that half of the country’s adult population are bookmaker clients. Many of them are considered problem players, but there is no single approach to diagnosing and treating addiction in Africa.

  • High engagement in sports (mainly soccer). Many players of African descent play in the leading European championships. They could be found easily in every squad. And it has always been this way: starting with JJ Okocha and Drogba, and to Aubameyang nowadays.
  • Africa has the largest percentage of the population among the ages of fifteen and twenty-five years. Barely 200 million, most of whom are unemployed. They also form the backbone of the football fanbase.
  • The spread of mobile Internet across the continent, and its relative availability.
  • Aggressive marketing of Online Bookmakers: lots of outdoor advertisements and billboards.
  • In support of bookmakers legislation, there are almost no restrictions.
  • There is a great variety of offline offices that simultaneously function as sports bars. They become a place of leisure for football and betting fans.
  • Over time, large world-famous companies will eliminate local African bookmakers, but so far Africa is a colossal space of opportunities for illegal business.

 

First published on Business Insider Africa.