The Federal Government and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) appear to have been largely silent on the issue of underage gambling. While some children across the world are learning robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), many Nigerian youths are being lured into the dangerous illusion of quick wealth through gambling. GBENGA OMOKHUNU and NICHOLAS KALU report
On a dusty street in Kubwa, Abuja, 14-year-old hunches over his phone, eyes fixed on a betting app. It was a mid-afternoon. He should be in school, but instead, he’s nervously watching a Spanish second-division match, hoping a last-minute goal will turn his N200 stake into N5, 000. He’s one of many children who have swapped notebooks for odds slips, chasing quick wealth in a country where dreams are often delayed or denied by poverty.
Across Nigeria, the flashing signs of betting shops have become more prominent than libraries. Sports betting, which was once a casual adult pastime, is now luring children with its false promise of overnight riches.
Driven by desperation and emboldened by digital access, an alarming number of underage Nigerians are sliding into the world of gambling, right under the noses of regulators, schools and sometimes, even their parents.
Nigeria’s economic crisis has pushed many families to the brink. Inflation is biting, unemployment is soaring and millions struggle daily to meet basic needs. For many youths, particularly in low-income communities, traditional routes to success — education, apprenticeships, or entrepreneurship—appear either too slow or entirely blocked. Betting has become the new hustle.
According to a recent survey by the National Bureau of Statistics, youth unemployment stands at over 53 per cent. For teenagers who see their older siblings with degrees but no jobs, sports betting feels like a more rational gamble than schooling.
“I know people who won big,” says a youngster with the certainty of someone twice his age. “One guy in our street used N500 to win N150, 000. That kind of thing can change your life,” he said.
But, for every overnight success, countless others like him lose money daily, sinking deeper into addiction and frustration.
From bustling cities such as Lagos and Port Harcourt to quieter towns in Zamfara and Cross River, betting shops are multiplying. Many operate late into the night and cater to anyone who walks in, regardless of age.
In Abuja, 13-year-old Hassan recounts how he began betting by watching older boys.
“They let me place bets with their accounts. Sometimes, they give me small money to try. Now, I have my own app. I use my cousin’s ID to register,” he said.
The process is disturbingly easy. With mobile phones, VPNs and little oversight, children can open accounts, deposit money via wallet transfers and bet around the clock. Most betting companies claim to restrict access to those under 18, but enforcement is weak and oversight virtually non-existent.
Teachers in public schools have noticed a troubling change. “We now find children discussing match fixtures, betting odds and game predictions more than their homework,” says Mrs. Uche, a secondary school teacher who spoke with our reporter.
“Some even sneak into class after staying out all night watching games in shops,” she said.
Parents, many of whom are overwhelmed by financial pressures, are often unaware, or in denial about their children’s involvement in gambling.
In some tragic cases, the addiction has led to theft, violence or school dropout. Recently, there was a report about a 12-year-old who stole his mother’s phone to fund his online betting account. When confronted, he reportedly said “I just wanted to make money to help us eat.”
The psychological toll
Experts warn that the psychological effects of betting on children are devastating. Dr. Yetunde Falade, a child psychologist said: “When a child is constantly chasing uncertain wins, they become wired for instant gratification. It distorts their ability to delay reward, focus on long-term goals and manage emotions—all of which are critical to healthy development.”
Worse, the inevitable cycle of wins and losses can foster feelings of depression, anxiety and in severe cases, suicidal thoughts.
There are laws in place. The Nigerian Gaming Act prohibits gambling by anyone under the age of 18. Yet, implementation remains lax. Advocacy groups argue that without strong political will, community-driven enforcement and digital monitoring, the situation will only worsen.
Some states are beginning to act. In Kwara, a coalition of civil society organisations recently launched a campaign called “Not before 18,” urging betting companies to deploy age-verification technology and pushing local government areas to crack down on underage access. But the response has been slow.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) appear to have been largely silent, despite rising evidence of the menace.
While some children across the world are learning robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), many Nigerian youths are being lured into the dangerous illusion of quick wealth through gambling. What began as a coping mechanism is rapidly becoming a national addiction.
Hassan, after losing yet another bet, sighs and mutters, “Maybe next time.” His phone buzzes with a new match notification; another chance to win, another chance to lose.
Unless urgent steps are taken, Nigeria may soon find itself raising a generation more familiar with betting odds than books and more invested in luck than learning.
Despite apparent regulatory restrictions, the menace of underage betting is worsening in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
There is no denying the fact that the primary intent of betting is to win additional money. What may be unknown to many is how much destruction the business is exerting on the future of the underage in many communities.
For this reason, most parents and guardians are worried. But with intervention by the National Lottery Regulation Commission (NLRC), there will be respite for parents and guardians across the country. The NLRC continues sensitisation against underage gaming.
An underage gambler (name withheld) leapt for joy as he rushed out of a sports betting centre within the FCT city centre.
It was moments after he played a betting game from which he won the sum of N5,000.
“I have just won N5,000!” the 14-year-old shouted excitedly. “The last time I played a game here, I lost. This time around, luck smiled on me,” he said.
It was not the first time the youngster, a Senior Secondary (SS) student of a public secondary school in Abuja would play the game of betting.
His romance with betting was influenced by his father, who had been betting for about 20 years.
From running betting errands for his father, the youngster graduated into a real-time bettor with streams of income from it.
Recalling his foray into the betting game, he said: “My father was the one who introduced me to betting after he lost his job as a site artisan in a construction company.
“About three years ago, I started running errands for my father at different betting shops and kiosks in our neighbourhood. That was where I learnt how to play the game.”
Then aged 11, he began playing betting games with proceeds of his savings and, at times, with money he stole from his mother.
“The lure of the game made me empty my piggy bank at home and I played the game for the first time in 2014. I did not win but it did not deter me from continuing to bet with my savings.
“When I first began playing the game for my father, some of my friends mocked me for being a delinquent. But my friends have also fallen in love with sport betting after I shared with them part of the cash I won,” he said.
He is not the only underage person hooked on betting.
Wale, a 15-year-old pupil who lives with his parents in the Wuse area of Abuja, prides himself among his peers as the ‘king of betting.’
Two years ago, he became fascinated with betting games after an operator opened a centre in their neighbourhood.
While returning from school, he and his friends would stop at the shop to play the betting games with fairly impressive success.
Moses (surname withheld), a 16-year-old and an SS3 pupil, said he took to betting after he ran errands for her mother at lottery shops around their home in Kuje.
He said that from the money he won from betting, he had been able to save some to procure the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination form.
There are many online betting companies in Abuja, but the major games that attract minors include football, horserace and virtual soccer, because of the instant money that comes with winnings.
Section 34 of the National Lottery Act, 2005 stipulates that it is illegal for an underage person to be involved in betting, with accompanying sanctions for operators who contravene the law.
“Any person who knowingly sells to any person under the age of eighteen years any ticket in a lottery operated by a licensee commits an offence and shall be liable, on conviction, to a fine of not less than N20,000 or imprisonment for a term of not less than one year or both,” the law states.
Although there are messages placed at the entrance of several betting shops and centres, warning that minors are not permitted to bet, the reverse was the case in some of the shops our reporter visited.
In several of the shops, underage people were seen playing various betting games unrestricted.
A source in the government said teenagers freely patronise betting centres around an open field in the community because some policemen come there to play sports betting games too.
“Teenage betting thrives in many areas. If you come around in the afternoon, you will see them playing sports betting games unrestricted.
“Most of them come from several streets away to bet in shops around here, because policemen who ordinarily should reprimand the underage bettors and the operators of the betting centres also bet there.”
A psychologist, John Frances, blamed the indulgence of minors in betting games on parental failure, arguing that defective upbringing is a panacea for delinquent behaviour, one of which is betting or gambling habits by minors.
Frances said: “Underage bettors are products of dysfunctional parental upbringing, whereby certain influences at home or neighbourhood encourage minors to play betting or gambling games.
“Most of these influences are from parents themselves, and at times, the neighbours or peer influences children are exposed to.
“For example, many parents, especially the poor ones, have taken to sports betting as a result of the harsh realities of the Nigerian economy. In the process, many of them expose their children to betting directly or indirectly, especially when their children run errands for them at lottery and betting shops.
A social worker and counsellor, Mrs. Lara Adedamola, blamed the trend on the collapse of the value system in society and weak institutional regulations.
She said: “As far as I am concerned, the diminishing societal values and weak implementation of regulations on underage betting is responsible for the menace of minor bettors, not only in the FCT, but across the country.
“In our days, our parents and neighbours inculcate morals in us and reprimand us when we go wrong. But the reverse is the case nowadays as moral values have collapsed.
“Also, law enforcement agents and public officers charged with maintaining regulations and enforcement compromise, hence, teenagers freely gamble and bet most time with money stolen from their parents or neighbours.
“Betting or gambling has a craving that could lead to children picking up stealing habits, which could lead them into robbery or turn them into a nuisance in future.
“My advice is that parents should monitor their children very well by creating time for them, while the minions of law should also apprehend culpable operators and offenders.”
To further curb this menace, the authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) recently declared zero tolerance against underage gambling in the FCT, with a promise to sanction betting centres that permit such acts on their premises.
This decision follows the official launch of the FCT Lottery Regulatory Office, FCT-LRO, a body responsible for regulating and overseeing the gaming industry within the FCT to ensure a fair and transparent system.
On the issue with the FCT Internal Revenue Service, FCT-IRS, on the commencement of the FCT-LRO’s activities, the Director-General of the FCT Lottery Regulatory Office, Mr. Lanre Gbajabiamila, warned that any operator found facilitating underage gambling would face severe penalties.
“There is zero tolerance for underage gambling. Any operator caught allowing minors to participate will be penalised. We are building a gaming environment based on responsibility, regulation, and fairness.”
Gbajabiamila emphasised that the move demonstrates FCTA’s commitment to enforcing responsible gaming practices and preventing underage participation.
According to him, the regulatory framework is designed to protect vulnerable groups, particularly minors, boost investor confidence, and foster an environment conducive to responsible gaming.
The new regulatory framework comes in the wake of a landmark Supreme Court ruling in the case of AG Lagos & Ors Vs AG Federation & Anor SC/1/2008, which affirmed that the power to regulate gaming and lottery activities within the FCT lies with the FCTA.
In line with this, the FCT-LRO has now taken over the regulatory responsibilities previously held by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, NLRC, with the FCTA assuming full control over gaming activities in the territory.
The director general acknowledged that the regulatory transition might raise concerns among operators, but reassured stakeholders that it would not disrupt their operations.
“We recognise that this regulatory shift may provoke inquiries among stakeholders, and we encourage licensed operators to engage with us as we navigate this transition. Our goal remains to ensure clarity, stability, and fairness while upholding global best practices in gaming regulation,” he said.
He also clarified that all gaming licenses and permits issued by the now-defunct NLRC remain valid within the FCT for the remainder of their terms.
The FCT-LRO boss also assured the people that, working closely with the FCT-IRS, the agency will create a more robust and transparent regulatory framework for gaming in the territory.
The Acting Executive Chairman of the FCT-IRS, Michael Ango, reiterated the economic potential of the gaming sector, emphasizing that the sector is poised to attract investment, enhance tourism, and generate much-needed revenue for the territory.
He noted that Abuja is increasingly becoming a popular tourist destination and the gaming industry can play a pivotal role in this transformation.
