Gambling is a huge business in Nigeria; one of Africa’s largest economies
Numerous bookmakers both locally regulated, and international compete for its ever growing market.
BetKing is one of them.
It’s one of Nigeria’s biggest bookies, perhaps Bet9ja has more clients.
Even then.
The numbers we’re talking about are in the millions.
And BetKing is also licensed; currently headquartered in Lagos.
This means it’s legal in Nigeria at least; but the same can’t be said about other countries where it takes its customers from.
But like all other bookmakers, it’s a grey area everyone likes to play around with.
Many gambling brands want a piece of this pie
One of the biggest competitors it faces in its own country are Bet9ja, 1XBet and Nairabet.
If anything it’s healthy, because then the Nigerians have more options to dig into.
It’s not that this is end and all.
I can’t think of a single offshore casino that is not willing to take customers from Nigeria.
May be I’m pushing it a little, but there isn’t a shortage of either.
Yes, the average deposit values are low (only a few dollars per client worth), but the large number of customers alone make up for the shortfall, which is why such a acute amount of interest exists for this nation.
And, the best part is that certain offshore brands might actually be better at paying out quickly compared to the locally regulated ones.
You can’t decline their deposit bonus for some odd reason
BetKing has its ups and downs.
Just a bit more downers to be honest, but it has something to do with the way it tends to run the show.
For example, there’re lots of bettors who aren’t happy with the manner they promote their bonuses; which is 100% of one’s first deposit, with no ability to actually refuse its acceptance; and it’s something that’s a standard practice with even the shadiest of gambling brands, let alone a government-regulated one.
Don’t believe me?
Just head out to Nairaland and see for yourself.
So the way they act on bonuses is also nasty.
All losses are first deducted from the original deposit.
This kills the purpose of the bonus in the first place.
Ok, how about applying the wagering requirement of 10X or 30X, like is the industry standard, instead of straight up eating away the deposit of an unsuspecting newbie? Think if it were to happen to you.
You would be pretty pissed off too.
Here’s some free advice, BetKing should just rename its bonus to “bet on loans” since the concept of bonus doesn’t really hold true for them.
But, apart from this, I personally think BetKing has sorted out its sportsbook.
The entire platform is well-built, custom-coded for many sections.
The elaborateness is clearly visible even to the professional sports bettors.
BetKing is basically a sportsbook at its very core
Nigerians love football so offering odds for it is its main line of work.
Other games like Basketball and Dambe are interesting too.
Casino offerings aren’t bad either
Their partnerships with international iGaming providers does reflect on its platform without confusion.
Nigerians can play slots, blackjack, roulette plus tons of other games.
People looking for some kind of a marketing job can promote this brand
Their Agents Program is quite intriguing, considering that one can simply walk to a local shop, open a new account, or get a coupon code, which can be activated on the site.
These agents also tend to provide better customer support than their official staff.
Tons of local deposit methods are available
Deposits are extremely easy to do.
You can do a bank transfer, charge your debit and credit cards, use e-wallets like Opay, Verve, and many others.
Basically every local method is available.
Minimum deposit is only ₦100 and a free coupon is also available for platform testing.
They have pathetic rules for withdrawals
You wouldn’t be able to withdraw any amount less than ₦5,000 and the highest withdrawable amount BetKing allows is ₦40 Million; for the normies.
For VIP bettors, it has more leeway, but they wouldn’t tell you, how much you can stretch.
The disgusting part is that you do need to bet 60% of your deposit before you can request a withdrawal.
Meaning, you deposited ₦10,000, and after losing ₦1500 decided you don’t want to be a part of this anymore; well it’s not allowed.
You must gamble away ₦6,000 before they even entertain your support ticket.
What a crock.
But, it’s their world and their rules.
Apps are available for Google Play and Apple App Store, but they tend to crash during popular sporting events
Apps for both Google Play and App Store are available.
Mind you it can crash during peak times, or during popular sporting tournaments.
The functionality is also so-so.
I would suggest you use their desktop version instead, which is much more stable.
Customer support can be slow, especially for live phone calls
Their customer support can be slow too.
Especially the phone lines.
Most of the time they’re busy, and the waiting times are long.
Email can be used instead, but if you have a local agent, then that’s the best option to get things done quickly.
BetKing enjoys a major market share in Nigeria, but it needs to operate with a bit more dignity
Regardless of how you look at BetKing, it’s one the leading players in the bulging gambling industry of Nigeria.
The lines offered for football are quite decent.
And they do try to be as comprehensive as possible for a wide number of sports.
If they could only be a bit less African when dealing with their customers, and show a bit more grace.
Their temerity should be focused on being upfront and honest about their offerings instead of finding weasel like ways to shortchange their newly onboarded customers.