The evolution of iGaming and online poker in Nigeria

Whenever Nigeria comes up in a conversation a lot of things will come to mind. Online gambling, while quite prominent in the African nation, is not one of the first things that do in such scenarios. That is quite understandable because the growth and development of the sector only started ramping up in recent years.

Being among the most populous countries in the world, it is not surprising that Nigeria is a very lucrative gambling market. Economically, it is also doing impressively well. While it is by no means a first-world economy, there is a considerable large and steadily growing middle class that can spend more money on leisure and entertainment activities such as gambling.

That said, there has been a massive increase in interest in demand for quality iGaming products. All the online gambling verticals are experiencing a solid amount of growth. However, not many are generating as much buzz as online sports betting. But online poker which we are primarily interested in follows closely behind. The game has carved out a niche of its own and is taking iGaming in Nigeria to a whole new level.

Is Online Poker Legal in Nigeria?
Gambling in the country is generally regulated by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission. It is also known as Nigeria Lottery Commission. Every casino and sports betting operation needs to get a license from here. Now, the rules are very clear for land-based gambling. For various forms of online gambling, it is presumed that the same laws apply.

The Nigerian gaming laws have categorized iGaming based on the kind of games. That is, there are games of skill and games of chance. Card games such as poker are considered to be games of skill. This makes it legal in a sense. You will not need to worry about getting into any trouble for playing them. Games like slots, blackjack and roulette which are seen as pure games of chance are only allowed in select gaming platforms in the country.

Nigerian players have been participating in online poker at several major poker sites. Most of these are offshore sites that fall outside the jurisdiction of the Nigerian government. Officially, there are no plans to regulate the activity just yet. This can mostly be attributed to socio-cultural and mental health concerns.

The Nigerian Poker Scene
When it comes to poker, Nigeria is one of the countries that has been putting Africa on the map. Even though Nigerian poker sites do not boast of the most traffic in the world, they are doing pretty well. Aside from casual poker games, the country has had its fair share of high roller tournaments. Poker players from the country have even managed to make appearances at some prestigious global live poker tournaments.

Nigeria has an impressive internet access rate of about 50% which is a significant enabling factor for the growth of online gambling. Online sports betting has benefited from this and online poker is also taking as much advantage of it as possible. There is certainly more than can be done to push that vertical forward but it is a great start. That is undeniable.

Finding the Best Poker Sites in Nigeria
Since there are no laws specifically regulating online poker in Nigeria, players have virtually unlimited access to poker sites from all around the world. This is mostly a good thing but there are drawbacks to having such an open and unrestricted market. Not all online poker sites are built equal. Some of them take advantage of the lack of oversight to deliver sub-standard products. Others are shady and may offer unfair games or even nudge gamers toward gambling-related harm.

That said, it is important to be very picky when it comes to picking an online poker site in Nigeria. Meticulously picking a site will save you a lot of headaches and even money down the line. So, how do you find the best poker sites? Well, there are a few key things you need to pay attention to:

Licensing and regulation. – While there is no official regulation in Nigeria, there are regulatory jurisdictions that you can count on. Picking a poker site that has been licensed and regulated means that you are assured of safety, security and fairness. Places like Curacao have very strict regulations that only the best sites can meet.

Customer support. – Even the best sites are not perfect. Whenever something goes wrong, it is important to have the right kind of support services. Even simple queries might need an actual human being to clarify. This is one aspect that the top poker sites do not compromise on.

Banking options. – This is important for people who plan to play online poker with real money. For that, the site that you want to go with has to be able to deliver a robust cashier system. The available banking methods should not only be safe and secure but also fast, reliable and cost-effective.

Value additions. – For the most part, every casino that players come across try to sell these over the aspects we have outlined above. Such things as bonuses and hundreds of games are certainly nice to have. They should be just that – a bonus to an already well-optimized online poker experience.