International football is definitely the option that stands out among online bettors in Nigeria. In fact, football is the dominant sport in this department because more Nigerians watch football and talk about it than any other sport. Naturally, a lot of them are also into betting on it.
There are many studies in the last couple of years that reveal close to 59% of adult Nigerians who watch football follow the English Premier League. The latter is the most popular football competition in the country and a common betting option. But what makes it so popular and why do people choose it? Well, we at Efirbet are about to find out.
International fixtures are just more available and easier to follow
Yes, football in Nigeria is very popular, and many people wager on local competitions. However, we believe that the sheer access and reliability of international leagues and events are what make these things more popular. It seems like a lot of people simply have better broadcast coverage and stronger media packaging. There are also fewer disruptions and more predictable scheduling.
All of these things matter a lot because bettors want certainty. They want to be able to watch the match they’ll bet on and receive live updates when something happens.
By contrast, Nigeria’s local league can have lower visibility and less consistent nationwide coverage. This affects betting volume because people willing to bet on the sport want access to information.
Betting on international football feels easier
Sports bettors are always interested in making informed picks, no matter the sport they like. This is especially true when it comes to EPL, UEFA Champions League, Europa League and other major tournaments. All of these provide tons of data, including current form, injury updates, advanced stats, verified lineups, and more.
By using this information, bookmakers usually build deeper markets because they have more data. Nigerians will notice that both local and international football matches will have the basics like 1×2, Double Chance and Both Teams to Score. When it comes to more complex markets, however, international football is in a league of its own.
Bettors can expect to find things like corners, HT/FT results, many individual betting markets and Over/Under. It is also possible to come across different Handicaps.
We think that the number of markets matters because bettors can place multiple small bets across many options. This boosts the total volume and operators are more comfortable pricing those markets in international competitions; the data quality is simply higher.
Broadcast and communal viewing turn international matches into events
One thing that people do not realize is that Nigeria has an influential culture of communal football viewing. Friends and bettors come together to watch some of the more interesting matches. As you can imagine, this usually involves watching football games from the world’s big competitions like the EPL or the UCL.
We believe that these gatherings can be considered as betting accelerators. They add peer influence, real-time banter and tips, group betting slips, and immediate emotional stakes that drive repeat betting.
Truth be told, many of the new generation of bettors in Nigeria do not take part in these gatherings. Since it is possible to wager on the go, millions of people prefer staying at home and placing bets with their phones. Nevertheless, there is a group of bettors who’d rather come together to discuss various topics and exchange experiences, so it’s something to keep in mind.
Time zones make European football appealing
International football (mainly European) is popular in many parts of the world because it has the best teams in the world. Bettors worldwide like wagering on it, but the truth is that the different time zones can make watching these matches easier said than done.
The good news is that Nigeria does not have this problem. Given the time zone overlap, the European league schedule usually fits well with Nigeria’s afternoon-evening time zone, especially on weekends. This means only one thing – millions of people watch some of the most interesting matches taking place in Europe and bet on them.
Since people are usually free when watching their favorite games, this also has na effect on the betting volume. It has never been easier to wager on what you like in Nigeria and loads of users are taking full advantage of it.
Many international football competitions seem more trustworthy
Sadly, match fixing remains an issue in football and bettors are well aware of it. Many of them have had problems with this before and are very careful when deciding which events to bet on. This is one of the reasons why many Nigerian bettors prefer putting on international football competitions – they believe these leagues are more trustworthy.
Bettos who follow leagues like the EPL feel a lot more confident placing bets on it. They know that these events are professionally refereed and monitored, widely scrutinized by global media and harder to manipulate. Whether or not this perception is perfect is a topic for another day, but the belief itself matters.
People are just more willing to stake money on a match they believe is legitimate and transparent. That trust pushes users toward EPL/UEFA major events rather than local competitions.
Betting companies market international football aggressively
The last reason why many Nigerians prefer to wager on international football is because of marketing. Many local betting operators spend heavily on advertising these leagues. Nigerian media regularly links betting growth to partnership and branding around tipping European clubs and competitions.
In other words, betting brands push local punters to bet on these big international events. What’s more, some of them will also offer special incentives for bettors. This can include unique markets and special features, such as Cash Out. Sites will also have odds boosts, live streaming and many other smaller things that will make everything more appealing.
