Gambling Growth Deepens Poverty and Crime in West Africa

A new policy analysis by Joshua Biem, Senior Policy and Research Analyst at Nextier, and Olive Aniunoh, a Legal, Policy and Research Consultant at Nextier, warns that the rapid expansion of gambling in low-income communities across Nigeria, Ghana, and Sierra Leone is deepening economic hardship among young people. The report indicates that Nigeria’s gambling industry is one of the largest in Africa, with projected betting revenue reaching $3.63 billion by 2025, and over 60 million Nigerians, primarily aged 18 to 40, betting regularly.

The authors argue that the concentration of betting shops in economically vulnerable areas is linked to limited employment opportunities and weak social protection. They recommend harmonizing gambling regulations, improving monitoring of betting clusters, and implementing targeted livelihood and financial literacy programs to combat the economic desperation that gambling exploits.

The report concludes that unless governments address unemployment and urban marginalization, the growth of the under-regulated betting economy could worsen social pressures and youth unrest in West Africa.