The Best bookmakers in Nigeria, top 5 best Nigeria betting site 2024

Today, betting has become more popular than ever. Furthermore, sports betting has also become easily accessible and widely available worldwide. Nigeria is no exception to this growing trend. The main reason is that many operators can now offer their services online, allowing everyone with an Internet connection to participate in these activities as they see fit. That's why wintips has selected the list of the Top 5 best betting sites in Nigeria for 2024, so you don't have to do your own research to find quality sites.

The legal situation of the betting market in Nigeria

Online betting in Nigeria began around 2009 when Oloye Akin Alabi created NairaBet, a well-known bookmaker in Nigeria, which started the development of one of the most competitive betting markets in Africa. Many other gambling sites appeared soon after, including Bet9ja and 1960-Bet, with foreign bookmakers following suit.

Today, there are hundreds of bookmakers present in Nigeria, including some of the most prominent names in the betting industry, such as Bet365, 22Bet, Nexbet, and Betway.

All Nigerian betting sites are regulated by several agencies, mainly the National Lottery Regulatory Commission and the Lagos State Lottery Board. This ensures that companies that own betting sites have to go through a rigorous vetting and inspection process to get licensed and prove that they can provide their customers with a safe betting experience.

Interestingly, while the governing body, the Nigerian Lottery Commission, requires all trader bookmaker to obtain a license before they can start operating in Nigeria, Nigerian law does not mention online spaces. Furthermore, there are no restrictions on people accessing foreign betting sites, meaning that bettors in Nigeria can bet on any online bookmaker they want.

The lack of oversight on overseas gambling sites — which are still very common — is one area where Nigeria could do better as it is missing out on a lot of revenue. There are also concerns about the need for updated laws and better customer support mechanisms.

While the law is very lenient towards where you can bet, it defines the age of gambling, and you are not legally allowed to gamble until you turn 18.

How We Choose the Best Betting Sites in Nigeria

As you probably already know, many factors need to be considered when evaluating an online sports betting site. It's important to provide consumers with the best and most detailed information possible about anything that might be of interest regarding a particular sportsbook. With that in mind, here are a few of the criteria we thoroughly analyzed to create a list of betting sites in Nigeria. 

Licensed online bookmaker

The operator must hold a license issued by a government regulatory agency to operate legally, responsibly, and fairly. This is the first thing we check when evaluating sportsbooks.

Welcome Bonuses and Free Bets

Bonuses and promotions provide additional value to punters. This is especially true for free betting tips as they allow new bettors to try out sports betting services without having to invest too much of their own money. That is why we review the various promotions and bonuses that sportsbooks offer. 

Payment Options

As the saying goes: "The more, the better," and that's especially true for payment options. People want to have multiple options available when it comes to payment, so they can choose their preferred method. That's why we scrutinize the payment options available in every sportsbook.

Live streaming

Many online sportsbooks have live betting, but not all have live streaming. People love watching matches where they bet live, and not many sportsbooks have this convenience. We consider this when evaluating bookmakers because it contributes to the overall customer experience.

Betting Odds

Finally, we also review the odds offered by sportsbooks. The odds represent the value of your bet or how much you can earn if you guess the outcome correctly. If the odds don't match or aren't competitive enough, you have no reason to bet, as you will gain very little profit.

Launched in 2005, Betway is one of the most reputable gambling operators in the world. They hold gambling licenses from both the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gambling Authority, which makes them a fairly reliable operator. That being said, here is a brief list of Betway features and offers.

Betway Nigeria offers some of the best 100% match welcome betting bonuses, with up to 100,000 Nigerian Naira given as free bets. You must wager x10 of your deposit on bets with odds of 3.0 or higher to be eligible for the promotion. You have 30 days to meet the requirements before the bonus expires.

Besides, Betway has a great app for both its casino and sports betting services. The app is available for both Android and iOS, and you can easily download it from the sportsbook's website. Everything you can do on their website is also available on their app.

One of the things that makes the Nigerian betting site Betway stand out from the rest is the diversity of betting markets. Almost any sport you can imagine is available for betting at Betway. This includes regular, niche, and eSports betting markets, as well as different odds and types of betting. Here are a few examples.

• Football (Including all European competitions)
• Basketball
• Ice hockey
• Ping pong
• Boxing
• Volleyball

2. Nextbet - The best betting site in Nigeria

Another well-known gambling operator, NextBet, has been around since 2001. They also have licenses from the Malta Gambling Authority and the UK Gambling Commission, which makes them a reputable operator. Today, they are one of the most popular betting sites in Nigeria.  

Although primarily focused on football tips, NextBet has around 170 sports markets available for betting. These markets cover every regular market, niche, and eSports currently available, with some of the most competitive odds. Some of the most popular betting markets include:

• Football 
• Horse racing
• Basketball
• Volleyball
• Fantasy sports

3. 22Bet - Dollar betting site in Nigeria

Launched in 2018, 22Bet is one of the newer betting sites in Nigeria. Located in Greece, 22Bet holds a Curacao Gaming License issued by the Curacao Gaming Authority. Despite being relatively young for a gambling operator, 22Bet has achieved great success throughout Europe, Africa, and the rest of the world. Today, they are one of the most popular sportsbooks in Nigeria and are considered a betting site with some of the highest payouts in Nigeria.

When it comes to the best offers for betting sites, 22Bet has gone above and beyond to provide its customers with great bonuses and promotions. Its welcome bonus is a 100% match up to 50,000 Naira. However, you must wager your bonus five times in cumulative bets with a minimum of three parts and odds of 1.40 or higher. You have 7 days to complete the wagering requirement.

It is very intuitive and well-designed, allowing you to switch between casino and sports betting as you see fit. It is available for both Android and iOS and can be downloaded at their official website.

If you like betting on football, this is the sports betting site for you. Bet22 is very focused on football, and they have some of the best odds for the sport. In addition, this operator offers 50 other sports on which you can bet, including tennis, which has a variety of competitive odds and types of betting.

4. 1xBet - Betting site with the highest odds in Nigeria

Founded in 2009 and established in Nigeria in 2011, 1xBet is one of the largest and most popular gambling operators in Nigeria. They hold licenses issued by the Curacao Gambling Regulatory Authority and the Alderney Gambling Control Commission as well as Nigeria's National Lottery Regulatory Commission, making them one of the most trusted operators today. 

Their initial welcome offer was a match deposit of up to 300%, which is up to 145,600 Naira. To get the maximum match bonus, you must deposit at least N 41,600 into your account upon registration. 

The first half of the bonus must be wagered five times on pre-match bets or cumulative bets with three rows and odds of 1.40 or more. The second half of the bonus must be wagered 30 times in 1xGames.

1xBet offers many sports markets and competitive odds. Whatever sport you may think of, there is a good chance this Nigerian betting site has it available for you to bet on. The list is simply too long to cover everything, so you'll have to see for yourself. Let's say you can even bet on the weather forecast.

5. Bet365 - Betting site that gives bonus on registration in Nigeria

Bet365 is one of the top betting sites in Nigeria, offering an extensive selection of over 1,000 daily events and a growing customer base. It strives to provide a smooth yet exceptional betting experience for all its players. Additionally, it recently upgraded its online betting site. It also covers a variety of sports and provides round-the-clock support.

• Hundreds of sports markets for all types of sports.
• Poker rooms, casinos, live casinos, and lotteries are all available.
• Payment methods: credit card, bank transfer, mobile payment, cryptocurrency.
• Accounts can be created with just one click.
• Some bonuses, free bets, and additional benefits for users.
• Responsive and attentive support staff 24/7.

The site supports over 60 languages, such as American and Australian English, Russian, and Turkish.