Game of hope; game of addiction: rising football betting among Nigerian youths and its implications for peace, security and stability

ABSTRACT

Football betting (FB) is on the rise in Nigeria especially among the youths. This study examines the nature of FB among Nigerian youths, drivers, as well as its peace and security implications. Findings show that youths involved in FB usually play online by themselves or register in abet company outlet. The paper also discovered that increase in the use of smart phones and availability of the Internet facilities enhance playing of FB; but, it is driven largely by widespread unemployment and poverty among the youths. Rising FB among youth in Nigeria is found to be directly correlated to increase in violence and criminal activities. In view of the increasing call for ban of football and sport betting generally in Nigeria, the paper recommends that rather than criminalizing football or sport betting in Nigeria, the government should address widespread unemployment and poverty which continue to propel youths into betting.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. George, ‘Sport Betting’.

2. Price Waterhouse Cooper, ‘Raising the Stakes in Africa Gambling Outlook: 2014–2018 (South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya), 3^rd Edition”.

3. Esiebo, ‘Game of Hope: Pool betting in Nigeria: Photo Essays’.

4. Raheem, ‘Economics of $2 billion Sport Betting Industry in Nigeria’. See also Daily Post, ‘Investigation Reveals Nigerians Spend 1.8 billion naira on Sport Betting Daily’.

5. Rieche, ‘The Prohibition of Online Sport Betting: A Comparative Analysis of Germany and the United States’.

6. Sahara Reporter, ‘Senate Threatens to Shut Down Bet9ja “for Non-Remittance of Dues” to Nigerian Government’.

7. Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, ‘Which countries allow gambling on Sport? Assessing the impact of betting around the world’.

8. See Vanguard, ‘Albania Passes Law Banning Sport Betting’.

9. In-depth interview conducted in Ibadan on 10 February 2019.

10. This is usually determined by the strength of the two teams playing at that particular period. If a poor team is playing again a very good team, the winning odd for the better team is usually very low while the winning odd for the poor team is usually very high.

11. In-depth Interview with a better at Yola, Adamawa State, 17 May 2019.

12. In-depth Interview with bet company operator in Yola, Adamawa State, 16 May 2019.

13. Akanle Olayinka and Fageyinbo Taiwo Kolade, ‘Football Betting in Nigeria’, 57.

14. Brenner, ‘Why Do People Gamble? Further Canadian Evidence’; Howard, ‘Why Do People Gamble and Keep Gambling Despite Heavy Losses?’; Delfabbro and Thrupp, ‘The Social Determinants of Youth Gambling in South Australia Adolescents’.

15. See http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/nigeria-population/.

16. Kharas, Kristofer and Martin, ‘The Start of a New Poverty Narrative’.

17. Punch, ‘With 87 m poor citizens, Nigeria overtakes India as World’s Poverty Capital’.

18. Punch, ‘Editorial: Changing Nigeria’s Poverty Narratives’.

19. See https://tradingeconomics.com/nigeria/youth-unemployment-rate.

20. Obiejesi, ‘295,00 candidates apply for 10,000 police Jobs within five weeks’.

21. In-depth Interview held on 15 May 2019.

22. Interviewed held in Yola on 16 May 2019.

23. Interviewed on 5 January 2019.

24. Adepetun, ‘Nigeria’s Mobile phone Penetration hit 84 percent’.

25. See https://www.statista.com/statistics/467187/forecast-of-smartphone-users-in-nigeria/.

26. Interviewed in Yola on 9 May 2019.

27. See the argument of Brenner and Brenner, ‘Why do people gamble?’.

28. Delfabbro, Winefield and Anderson, ‘once a gambler, always a gambler: longitudinal analysis of adolescent gambling patterns’; Abbott, McKenna and Giles, ‘Gambling and problem gambling among recently sentenced males in four New Zealand prisons’; Shaffer, ‘A Critical View of Pathological Gambling and Addiction’; Dickson, Derevensky and Gupta, ‘The prevention of gambling problems in youth: a conceptual framework’; Fisher, ‘A prevalence study of gambling and problem gambling in British adolescents’; Burnett, Ong and Fuller, ‘correlates of gambling by adolescents’; Griffiths and Sutherland, ‘Adolescent gambling and drug use’.

29. Sakura and Smith, ‘Gambling as a Motivation for the Commission of Financial Crimes’.

30. Ibid., 2.

31. Interviewed in Yola on 10 February 2019.

32. Interview with viewing centre owner in Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa State on 20 January 2019.

33. Tade, ‘“He is a Father Christmas when Man-U wins”: EUFA league and the dynamics of spousal relations in Nigeria’.

34. In-depth Interview conducted on 15 May 2019 in Yola, Adamawa State.

35. Haruna, ‘Man beat 5-year-old son to death for misplacing his Betja ticket’; See also Antoeni, ‘Man beats 5-year-old son to death for misplacing his Bet9ja Ticket’.

36. Refer to the Author’s interview with bet company operator in Yola cited in endnote 12 and Akanle and Fageyinbo’s interview with football betting company operator cited in endnote 13 for the importance of ticket in claiming wins with regards to football betting. Also see Akanle and Fageyinbo, ‘European Football Clubs and Football betting among the youths in Nigeria’.

37. Philip, Welty and Smith ‘Elevated Suicide Levels Associated with Legalized Gambling’.

38. Karlsson and Hakansson, ‘Gambling Disorder, Increased Mortality, Suicidality and Associated Comorbidity: A Longitudinal Nationwide Register Study’.

39. Cited in The Guardian, ‘Problem Gambler at 15 Times Higher Risk of Suicide, Study Finds’.

40. As quoted on TV Continental news observed on 21 January 2019.

41. Ayoola, Man killed himself after betting against Barca in UCL (Video)’.

42. Papa, ‘Man Commits Suicide in Bayelsa After he lost his Bet9ja Ticket’.

43. This is called several names in different parts of Africa. In South Africa, it is called Muthi. In Liberia, it is called gboyo.

44. See Nwolise, ‘Rising Phenomena of Spiritual Crimes, Attacks, and Threats to Human and National Security in Nigeria and the Loud Absence of Effective State Response’; Nwolise, ‘Spiritual Dimension of Human and National Security’.

45. Interview held on 23 December 2018. It was conducted in Yoruba language but interpreted into English by the author.

46. Interview with owner of betting outlet in Ibadan on 27 December 2018.

47. This is a form of internet fraud common among youths in Nigeria. A new dimension of this is called Yahoo plus; a form of ritual wealth mixed with internet fraud. For detail discussion of this phenomenon, see Tade, ‘A spiritual dimension to cybercrime in Nigeria: The “yahoo plus” phenomenon’; Akanle and Shadare, ‘Yahoo-plus in Ibadan: Meaning, Characterization and Strategies’.