If Jay Jay Okocha, the famous Nigerian football legend, gave you some sports betting tips, would you use them?
You probably would.
As a brand ambassador of a major Nigerian sports betting platform, many Nigerians have placed a bet or two because they believe that if Jay Jay endorses the platform, it must be reputable. This ability to affect another person’s or the public’s decision is known as influencing.
Like Jay Jay Okocha, many notable Nigerian figures across different industries have recently assumed the role of influencers in the Nigerian gambling scene. These figures typically have massive social media followings, reach, and the attention of a large audience. And they are leveraging that to drive engagement, increase brand awareness, and ultimately attract new customers to gambling platforms.
While this is good for the industry’s development, some Nigerians jump into placing bets without really understanding what they’re betting on. Consequently, many stakeholders and influencers advocate for self-exclusion programs like the UK’s Gamstop scheme. Although this program is exclusive to UK-based sites, many gambling platforms still offer self-exclusion technology, promoting safer betting practices and ultimately making safety a core aspect of Nigeria’s gambling culture. However, this awareness has ushered new casinos which are not on Gamstop into the Nigerian and various other markets worldwide, as users sign up for these schemes too quickly and decide they do in fact want to continue betting.
As for the role of influencers in the Nigerian gambling culture, these charismatic and reputable individuals play a vital role in shaping the public’s perspective, preferences, and engagement with gambling and gambling brands in Nigeria. After all, an industry’s success largely rests on its ability to generate revenue by converting as many prospects as possible. And industries have always turned to different avenues to grab the customer’s attention. The Nigerian gambling industry is no different. Gambling brands are beginning to replace or supplement traditional advertising techniques with influencers.
Speaking at an event in May 2023, the CEO of a popular Nigerian Bookie, Adim Isiakpona, while announcing Nollywood movie star Tobi Bakre and Nigerian Comedian and Actor Broda Shaggi, said, “Through this partnership, we intend to connect more authentically with our existing users and potential new customers by leveraging other passion points beyond sports.” This announcement emphasizes the importance of influencers on the Nigerian gambling audience as a whole and not just on sports betting.
Other notable influencers in the Nigerian gambling scene include Nigerian football icon Nwankwo Kanu. More influencers without a sports background include sensational dance artist and hype man Poco Lee and popular nightlife enthusiast and event host Idowu Adeyemi, A.K.A., Yhemo Lee. These influencers have been seen advertising for one of the top bookies on various media platforms.
Influencer marketing involves swaying public perception in many ways. Some may create engaging content like Instagram skits and TikTok reels demonstrating the thrill and benefits of gambling at live sporting events. These ads often air on media channels and social media platforms. Other influencers may offer their fans huge discounts and promo codes on betting events to trigger their participation. Social media influencers and skit makers like Mr. Macaroni, Yhemo Lee, Poco Lee, etc., fall into this category. Lastly, another notable category of influencers includes known gambling experts like Mr Banks — a faceless X (formerly Twitter) account — Mayor of Ekiti, an entrepreneur and highly reputable punter known for huge winnings on the X app. These influencers are known for effective betting tips and huge gambling winnings on their social media accounts. They communicate the idea that huge winnings are possible, thus fuelling the gambling culture among Nigerians.
In the same vein, influencers have played a crucial role in making Nigeria one of Africa’s top three countries with a thriving gambling culture. Considering that most Nigerians are sports lovers, they have connected online gambling and sports betting platforms to many Nigerian sports enthusiasts, who see gambling as a means of showing support for their teams. In addition, they have also increased the brand visibility and credibility of many gambling platforms by connecting them to their ready-made audience. This effect is evident in the rapid growth of most betting platforms in Nigeria.
Although gambling has always been in Nigeria, it wasn’t a widely accepted activity. It became more acceptable when the Nigerian government legalized certain gambling forms in the late ‘90s to generate tax revenues. However, the emergence of the internet and social media has caused an uptick in Nigerian gambling culture, and influencers are at the forefront of this upsurge.
