Gamble Aware Nigeria Criticises Fintech Firms for Promoting Gambling Through Payment Apps
Gamble Aware Nigeria has raised serious concerns about instant payment apps being used to promote gambling, warning that some fintech companies are helping betting operators reach users including minors through unregulated advertising.
In an interview with iGB, the organisation’s General Manager, Melvin Gabriel Akpabio, condemned several operators for what he called “gross malpractice” and “unethical representation of responsible gaming policies through fintech brands.” He said the lack of action against such practices allows betting companies to bypass national regulations and send push notifications directly to potential gamblers.
“Fintechs have turned into extensions of gambling operators and no one is saying a word,” Akpabio said. “You can now place a bet from your Opay app as it takes you to a gambling site through the app. Opay is not licensed by regulatory authorities to do so. They are bombarding some underage people with over 15 messages to gamble per minute.”
Opay Digital Services Limited, one of Nigeria’s most widely used payment apps, reportedly serves millions of users and is increasingly being used as a payment gateway for betting platforms. Alongside Palmpay, another major fintech brand, it has partnered with more than 30 iGaming companies. While both are licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria and insured by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, neither is authorised to advertise or facilitate gambling activity.
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Akpabio highlighted disturbing examples of the aggressive marketing tactics being employed. “Last week, a bettor sent us a screenshot of over 11 messages received in just a minute, asking him to fund his betting account, prompting him to click on an ad to get a free bet,” he said. “Another ad read, ‘If you deposit in your betting account daily, you stand a chance to win an iPhone.’ Stuff like that is horrible.
“Bettors should gamble for entertainment, and with monies they can afford to lose. Not every day would a bettor want to lose money, but now the operators are pushing them into doing this as often as they can.”
He also criticised regulators for failing to intervene despite repeated warnings. “I have reached out to the LSLGA, the biggest regulator in Nigeria at least 22 times this year, sent them at least four letters in hard copy as well,” Akpabio said.
Although the Lagos State Lottery and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) recently introduced SafePlay, a national self-exclusion system to help problem gamblers, Akpabio believes gambling addiction continues to worsen — especially among young people.
“Over 60 million Nigerians are gamblers and more than 14% of that number are actually struggling with the addiction that comes with it,” he said. “Today, there are a lot of minors being exposed to betting through these fintech apps. We handle cases of underage gamblers a lot, and when you try to ascertain how they got introduced to this, the answer is always the same – through these apps.”
