Sports betting is something that has come to stay in Nigeria. The Sports betting business is one that so many Nigerians has profited from and are still looking forward to making more profits. In that same sense, so many Nigerians have lost money in it as well.
It is now a usual sight to see Sports betting shops in various areas all over Nigeria. Not just the shops but you will also notice the number of persons inside that are looking to “book” their tickets. Now, this might not be a problem at all but considering the fact that these sports betting companies have individual online websites where bookers can conveniently place their bookings one may be forced to ask; Why do most Nigerians still prefer sports betting in shops than making use of these online website? We will be looking at the possible reasons why it is so.
The number one reason why most Nigerians still prefer sports betting in shops than using the online website I believe is Computer illiteracy. In order to be able to use a computer or do anything online, one must be computer literate so as to understand how the internet works. Take for example, to begin making use of an online website to place your bookings, you have to register online to own an account, be able to deposit and withdraw funds from your account and more. Even placing the bets requires different navigation that a computer illiterate cannot handle.
What’s worse, one can win without even knowing they won if they do not understand what is displayed online. To avoid these, most Nigerians just stick to going to the shops to place their bets. To them, It is more easier to copy the games from the boards and give to the shops attendants to enter it in the computer and print out the bet slips.
Another reason is the connection of the betting account to a bank account. Not everyone has a bank account especially the teenagers who are now frequents in betting shops. You do need a bank account for sports betting online as that is how you get paid. You are not even allowed to use a third party bank account, it must be the same with your betting account details. There is also the case of minimum and maximum withdrawal amount. Whereas some betting sites allows a minimum withdrawal of as low as N1,000 others have a minimum withdrawal as high as N4,000 – N5,000. Meanwhile you can withdraw any amount in your betting slips at the shops, even as low as N500.
Also, not all betting types are available online, the popular Virtual betting is usually not available online. For the few betting companies that allow online Virtual betting, it is much more different than the one in the shops, not to talk of the amount of data that is exhausted while loading it.
Of all the reasons listed above, I believe the lack of computer knowledge is the main reason why most Nigerians prefer betting in shops. Betting in shops is not bad in any way, but it would be more preferable if Nigerians learn how to use the online platform so as to avoid running to the shops every now and then