The rapid expansion of betting in low-income communities across West Africa is worsening economic hardship among young people, a new policy analysis by Nextier has warned.
The analysis, authored by Joshua Biem, Senior Policy and Research Analyst at Nextier, and Olive Aniunoh, Legal, Policy and Research Consultant, examined the growing presence of gambling outlets in Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone. It found that betting shops are increasingly concentrated in slums, motor parks and informal settlements, where young people often face limited employment opportunities and weak social support.
According to the report, Nigeria has one of Africa’s largest gambling markets. Industry estimates cited in the analysis put the country’s betting revenue at as much as $3.63 billion in 2025. The report also stated that more than 60 million Nigerians, mostly between 18 and 40 years, are regular bettors.
The authors linked the growth of betting to worsening youth unemployment and economic exclusion. They argued that young people facing limited opportunities may increasingly view gambling as an alternative means of generating income.
“Gambling functions less as a pathway out of poverty than as a coping mechanism for it,” the authors said.
They warned that this pattern could deepen indebtedness and, in some circumstances, contribute to informal criminal economies as financially distressed young people search for ways to recover losses or meet their obligations. The analysis, however, stressed that betting outlets do not independently create criminality. Rather, betting and poverty tend to intersect in communities where economic desperation is already widespread.
To address the situation, the authors called for harmonised gambling regulations across relevant jurisdictions. They also recommended stronger age and identity verification systems and restrictions on the density and location of betting outlets in vulnerable communities.
The report urged authorities to strengthen intelligence-led monitoring around betting clusters associated with debt-driven theft, cultism and fraud. It further recommended livelihood programmes, vocational training and financial literacy initiatives targeting slums and peri-urban communities.
According to the authors, such interventions could address the economic desperation being monetised by gambling operators. They also urged betting companies to strengthen responsible-gambling measures through self-exclusion mechanisms, spending limits and advertising rules designed to prevent the targeting of economically vulnerable youths.
The report warned that without stronger action on unemployment, debt, weak social protection and urban marginalisation, the expansion of an under-regulated betting economy could deepen social pressures and contribute to youth unrest across West Africa. Ultimately, the analysis argued that tackling betting and poverty requires addressing the economic conditions that make gambling appear to young people as a possible escape from hardship.
