The Director General of Cross Rivers State Lottery and Gaming Agency, Michael Eja, has revealed that out of the total population in the country, an estimated 60 million Nigerians gamble daily.
According to Eja, the gambling industry in Nigeria is thriving, and currently valued between N500bn and N600bn.
Eja spoke at the launch of a new sports betting platform, Woskybet, in Abuja on Friday.
He said, “The betting industry is worth about $1bn in Africa. Lagos state alone generated $243 million in revenue last year. So, gambling is coming up huge. And people are beginning to understand the essence of gambling.
READ MORE: Police Arrest 29-Year-Old Suspected Kidnapper, Serial Killer in Ogun
“In Nigeria, presently, we are doing over N500 to N600bn in revenue. If I am not mistaken, we have over 150 million people in the country. And presently, from the statistics that we have got, we know that about 60 million Nigerians gamble on a daily basis. We’ve not captured 90 percent of that market.”
He said, “The gaming industry sells hope, aids in wealth redistribution, and creates jobs in Nigeria.
However, Eja explained that the government also benefits from the revenue generated by the industry. Over time, we will see an increase in the revenue that the gambling sector contributes to nation-building.”
Follow the Parallel Facts channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCQSAoHgZWiDjR3Kn2E
