Nigeria is a country on the rise. With a rapidly growing economy, led by technological changes and a population keen to capitalize on new industries, it’s clear to see change happening in just a few short years. One of these industries is online gaming.
Internet access itself wasn’t ready available across most of the country all the way up until the past five years or so. The boom that internet use has experienced has resulted in a country that is now equipped the same as the western world when it comes to seeking out knowledge and online experiences. The types of games that Nigerians play may differ slightly from some of their neighbours, but that same thrill of the win exists, no matter where you live.
Online Casino Games
At present, the majority of online providers have an extensive inventory of games, in varying categories such as slots, bingo, roulette, table games like baccarat, poker and even blackjack with no deposit bonuses. Online casinos are big business globally and players from around the world gather to play their favorite games.
In Nigeria, online casino games are rising in popularity. The country, like many others, has had its ups and down in legalizing gambling activities, both offline and online. Up until the mid-1900s, most forms of gambling were illegal, however, the tides shifted once the country gained its independence. A new Lottery Act was the start of a new era for gambling as a whole.
More recently, the sports betting industry has sprung up, with physical and online sports betting providers cropping up at a rapid rate. The newly regulated sports betting industry has had a huge and fast rise, with advertising seeping into the common knowledge. As many in the gambling industry will know, sports betting and casino games go hand in hand. So, while there has not been specific licensing set up in Nigeria for online casino gaming, providers licensed in other countries have stepped in to fill the gap in the market. Nigerian players can find these casinos and access them online, often with a VPN to change their geolocation for website access purposes.
Networked Gaming
Networked gaming has been around for a very long time, with people linking up computers in dark back rooms to have LAN parties among themselves on a local area network. However, this type of networked gaming didn’t really take off in Nigeria due to the prohibitive cost of personal computers in the 1990s, when it really started to rise.
With the internet came the new wave of networked gaming, where gamers from around the globe could play together in massive multiplayer online games, such as World of Warcraft. While internet cafes were first to take off in other countries, eventually the cost of equipment declined and they became a staple of the cityscape in Nigeria, too. Now you can find gamers sitting for hours in these cafes, on their grind.
Mobile Gaming
Mobile gaming has really been the most defining movement in Nigeria’s online gaming landscape. As of 2021, mobile phone penetration stood at just over 90% of the population, with most of these being smartphones. This is in stark contrast to around 40% mobile penetration just a mere five years earlier. Thanks to better telecoms networks, cheaper handsets, and better infrastructure overall, now most people have a smartphone.
The effect? Social gaming on smartphone has surged dramatically. With growing new gaming markets comes the diversification of the gaming industry itself, as new niche players tailor games to new audiences. The opportunities for growth for gaming companies in markets like Nigeria is massive, with the ability to capture the hearts and minds of fresh new players.
Unlike traditional video games, we are seeing more and more companies develop games specifically for African audiences. This includes different styles of play, storylines, and in particular pricing and packaging for the market. What worked for a company in the US probably won’t work here, so it’s time for a rethink.
To the Future
Thanks to the current state of play in online gaming in Nigeria, what we are likely to see in the future is more in-country gaming houses becoming established. Here, local developers will develop entertaining new games, all tailored specifically to local audiences. Of course, off shore gaming houses will also be eyeing a slice of the pie. For these companies, they will need to do deep market research to truly understand what Nigerian players love and want in their online gameplay experience. While the internet has allowed products to go global, we are now in an age of personalisation, where products need to be adjusted for different audiences to really make an impact.
