There was a bit of setback for sports betting companies as the major European football leagues went on break in June.
The Next Edition gathered that staff of sports betting companies and young Nigerians who are in the habit of placing bets on football games took a break from betting as soon as the English Premier League, Italian Serie A, Spanish La liga, German Bundesliga, and French league went on break.
Although the FIFA World Cup was there to keep every football lover glued to their television sets, those who placed bets did not really have a good time as international football is not as predictable as club football.
In club football, there is a huge disparity between the top teams and the teams in the bottom. Money is the difference. The big clubs are far richer than the smaller counterparts. Their spending power is what makes them have quality players. For instance, there is a gulf in quality between Bayern Munich and other clubs in German league. That is why they win the league title every season. In Italy, Juventus is the biggest club and it has won seven league titles consecutively. This summer, they acquired the world’s best player, Cristiano Ronaldo.
For punters, that acquisition by Juve is mouth-watering. It will make them have more confidence in the club in regards to betting.
In Spain, it is about Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. They are the top three clubs. They win most of their games in a season.
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In France, Paris Saint Germaine holds sway. That is the club that boasts of the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. Last season, they won the league easily and very early due to the quality players they have.
In England, there are six teams that bookies usually place bets on. Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hot spurs and Arsenal.
Of all the top five European leagues, only the EPL and French league have resumed. This weekend, Italy and Spain will resume, while Germany will resume next weekend. Fans of betting are very excited and have started placing bets already for the weekend games.
The Next Edition spoke with some Nigerian youth who said they placed bets during the World Cup but did not take big risks due to the unpredictability of the competition.
“I only placed bets on a few games. Like Germany Brazil and Spain against smaller teams,” said Ekene Okonkwo who lives at Ogba, Lagos. “Despite relying on the big teams I was still disappointed. I expected Brazil to win their first game but they got a draw. Germany also disappointed me when they lost to South Korea in their last group game,” he said looking sad.
Another Nigerian youth who simply identified himself as Tope said. “I just can’t do without it. It has become a part of me. I went into it because I don’t have a job. If I had something doing, I would have still gone into it for the fun of it because I love football and really know about it. But my situation today is that my life depends on it.
“I enjoyed the World Cup as a football fan. But betting did not just go my way. Unlike club football, international football is very difficult to predict. You could see that there were many upsets. For instance, I placed a bet on Spain to defeat Russia but they lost. I lost money that day. After that match I became very careful. I am very happy that club football is back,” said he.
Shina Babatunde who is addicted to sports betting told Next Edition that he was introduced to it by a friend in 2016. “He never encouraged me to play it but I was encouraged by how it bettered his life financially,” Babatunde said. “As I am speaking with you my friend is married as a result of sports betting. He paid his bride price and did his wedding ceremony with money from this thing. This is a graduate who doesn’t have a white collar job till date.”
When asked if he played regularly and how he would cope whenever the major footballs leagues in the world go on break, he said, “I have not been as lucky as my friend. But fortunately for me, I have made something out of it.”
Pointing to his barbing salon, he said, “Look at that salon. It belongs to me. I established that with money I made from sports betting so I was able to manage when the leagues went on break. It is those who don’t know how to place sensible bets and also haven’t invested in any business that must have felt the pain the most.”
Chindeu Obi, a Manchester United fan, who lives at Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos, told the Next Edition that, “When the leagues are over, I place bets on international friendly matches and qualifiers. Although there aren’t varieties to choose from, it is better than nothing. I don’t have a job but I thank God I don’t depend on anyone to survive since I discovered sports betting. Those who enjoy it are those who have money and have a good knowledge of football. Another thing about this game is that you shouldn’t be greedy. If you are greedy you will make nothing. You should also remove emotions. I am a Manchester United fan but I didn’t place bets on them last season because I wasn’t sure of them.” He said giggling.
One of the staff of Bet9ja in the head office at Ojuelegba, Lagos spoke with Next Edition on the condition of anonymity. He said they make more money when the major leagues are on. “The bulk of our money is made during the league season because it is every week they play league football and there are many clubs to choose from.” When asked what keeps the business going, he said, “Those who lose keep this business going. The losers are far more than the winners. If the winners are more in number, then the business will fold up.”
