Evolution of sports betting in Nigeria and the game changers

All men are born equal, but not all betting companies. Some were born different from day one; while others were born average and have since struggled to catch up. We will talk all about the differences shortly but first, the origin.

Nairabet entered the Nigerian sports betting market first, out of the sheer ingenuity of Akin Alabi, its founder. He is an avid football lover and sought ways to make money from his passion. Along the way, he realized that other Nigerians existed who also sought to make money from their passion. He sensed a market, and explored its possibilities. Nairabet has, since its founding in 2009, remained a leader in the country’s betting industry.

Four years after Nairabet’s arrival, Bet9ja was born. While Nairabet was focused on online sales and expansion, Bet9ja’s marketing aimed at physical shops, expanding at the speed of sound. 10-minute walking distance, and there is a new shop! They entered the market with good odds, and paid winnings quickly. But they did something else that changed the game permanently in their favour: they bore losses for their partners and shared only profits with them! This is why business people who seek to play in the sports betting industry fight hard to get the Bet9ja franchise. The brand’s popularity, buoyed by that aggressive strategy of populating everywhere with shops, has made Bet9ja every agent’s desire.

Even though they came years after Nairabet, Bet9ja leads the entire gaming industry today. And they will remain in that position in the foreseeable future.

But the two betting companies are not the only ones in that space. Many others have sprung up in the last few years, all courting punters’ attention. Of the scores that now fall over themselves for the public’s patronage, one stands out: betBonanza!

BetBonanza launched in 2019 with a remarkably different branding style. The company’s colours and collaterals’ tone are bold and vivid, appealing calmly to the eyes. Their strategy disregards noise. They quietly penetrate their market with a cocktail of huge odds, assorted bonuses and fast payouts. In Nigeria, they have an impressive customer base who wouldn’t leave them for anything. One of their secrets is a proprietary color-game called BonanzaBallz, a game of numbers and colours – consisting of 48 numbers and 8 colours – that is so easy to understand. Customers love those and think they are exciting and offer better chances of winning.

The brand also plays heavily in the Casino space, with lots of exciting games that could pass for regular computer games for everyone. BetBonanza’s live bets resonate well with customers as they run quick, in minutes, and customers can see their scores and wins (or losses, sometimes) quick enough to make the next move. Plus, the live bets are easy to follow.

BetBonanza combines sports and entertainment in their business model. Remember the Emmys? BetBonanza has odds for them! The Grammys? There are odds for them! Even Politics. There are odds for them. BetBonanza wants everyone to have fun betting on whatever it is that makes them happy.  

We have compared betBonanza’s platform with most of the popular betting companies in Nigeria and can only match it with Bet9ja. Of course, if it comes to odds, there are a few others that fairly compete with betBonanza’s, yet they cannot stand the platform’s elegance. BetBonanza also shares only profits with their agents, bearing losses alone. The brand appears every bit an improvement on Bet9ja.

Sometimes we feel the need to appreciate great brands. And when we do, it comes off like a paid PR. But we will be discouraging the growth of commerce if we keep silent on the genuine efforts of some organizations to stand out from the rest. Good thinking deserves good commentary.

BetBonanza’s brand stands out. And we are happy to say so.