Marketing Nigeria: Africa’s fastest growing betting destination

Africa is as diverse as it is large, which perfectly mirrors the nature of its gambling sector. While betting across the continent follows similar trends and styles, there are undoubtedly subtle differences from country to country.

Any operator approaching the continent with a ‘one size fits all’ strategy would do well to go back to the drawing board – as when it comes to marketing, the continent is as diverse as it is broad.

This can be easily seen if we compare Africa’s two largest markets, Nigeria and South Africa. In North West Africa, football is king – but move down to South Africa, and you’ll see a far more diverse range of preferences, including horseracing, rugby and cricket.

Customer segmentation is key here, particularly when it comes to understanding the nuanced approaches required. This is especially the case for Nigeria, which has almost an American-style sports zone casino feel when it comes to betting behaviour.

Just as it is in Vegas sports bars, you should expect your punters’ destination of choice for getting a bet on is going to be very much based on social interaction.

While Nigerian punters place plenty of value in the social aspects of betting – the betting shop is not their destination of choice. It is common to see punters visiting bars and restaurants showcasing live sporting events, eager to share the betting experience with their friends – and marketing strategies should be adjusted accordingly.

Consider Nigerian betting to be a very social pastime – to be enjoyed over extended periods, where gamblers enjoy making small wagers to keep the action going. While the average bet per person across online and retail in Nigeria is around 500Naira which works out to about (£1.04p), this doesn’t account for in-play sessions – with the social aspect of betting greatly contributing to extended periods of gaming.

The rise of virtuals, lotto and live betting

As a result, this allows for a myriad of approaches when it comes to marketing the cross-sell alongside, and with live sports now on an indefinite hiatus, the rise of virtuals is proving to be especially key.

One of the behaviour patterns we’ve analysed here is that local punters are drawn to the idea of quick and fast money and not having to wait for long to see returns – in effect, that fast-paced ‘spin and win’ experience that can be repeated time and time again.

Lotto’s also proven to be king here as a result and has been a market heavyweight for as long as 2001. While already popular in its own right, it is now proving a significant online revenue booster since the start of the pandemic – and with a wealth of live betting options now available to the market – there’s massive potential.

The emergence of the smartphone in the last few years has indeed set the scene for this, and given the ongoing closure of retail, tied in with existing growth rates, and we’re likely set to witness one of the fastest multi-channel adoption rates in betting history.

One of the burning questions is whether these new trends will continue after the return of live sports. I personally feel it is likely that lotto and virtual gaming will continue to maintain their popularity on the continent, as people become more enamoured with them during the lockdown.

In my view – lotto, live betting games and virtuals represent a fantastic growth vertical here – and given the country’s increasingly positive approach to cast-iron regulatory practices, now is the time for suppliers to be paying attention.

I’m confident that alternative betting markets have an excellent chance to shine here on a permanent basis alongside sportsbook, and the evolution in tech infrastructure here means that the knock-on effects of the downturn are likely to power a transition to an ever-more mobile dominant sector.

This can enable a far more European-style approach to omni-channel strategy, and once sporting events are up and running again, the sector will likely remain as fascinating as it was, with both new and old gambling verticals running smoothly alongside each other.

Operators looking to broaden their global revenue stream would do well to looking at establishing their presence here. As one of the world’s fastest growing regulated betting markets – exponential growth is easily attainable, and with one of the fastest adoption rates yet seen in the industry, the future’s bright.

Duane Addo leads Amelco’s marketing operations from the company’s Canon Street HQ. With extensive experience working alongside Nigerian operator brands, he advises on CSR, brand management and digital marketing for Amelco’s partners across Africa.