Ibadan, the capital of Oyo state is a thriving commercial center. Although not at the level of cities like Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt, the city has grown in terms of population and volume of commercial activities going on in the metropolis.
But one enterprise that is really growing in leaps and bounds is the sports betting business.
Many betting shops dot the landscape of the city with thousands of people trooping in to the different shops to place bets.
Even more place bets on different sports on their mobile devices within the confines of their homes.
Since the introduction of online betting in Nigeria till date, Oyo state remains one of the states to constantly experience a surge in the number of people taking to online gambling.
Like every else in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, betting in the state has been a very controversial subject with many kicking against the pastime, while some others have alluded to the positive contributions to the economy of the state.
No doubt there are plenty of positives in the betting industry with tangible benefits.
Some of these benefits include but are not limited to increase in government revenue from licensing fees, taxes, and provision of employment for the teeming youths of the state.
However, some of the ills of unregulated sports betting activities in the state are coming to the fore. Underage gambling, unlicensed sports betting shops, and unlicensed operators who tend to fleece the unsuspecting public are some of the dangers of the betting industry in the state.
Across betting shops of the different operators with retail outlets, from Molete to Mokola, several minors are sighted on a regular basis placing bets on real time sports as well as virtual sports.
Ordinarily, minors are not supposed to be seen near such an establishment let alone gaining entry and patronizing these outlets.
Many young inhabitants of the state view betting as a means of escaping economic hardship and poverty generally, and as such they tend to head towards betting addiction.
Hence, the need for a stricter control of betting or gambling related activities in the state.
To stem this tide, drastic steps should be taken by the government agency saddled with the responsibility of maintaining sanity within the industry.
Indeed the Oyo State Gaming Board is up and doing, but more still has to be done to ensure some level of sanity within the betting industry in the state.
Recently the agency embarked on a massive enforcement of extant laws which resulted in the closure of some gaming centers around Bodija, Idi-Ape and Dugbe areas of the state for failure to comply with the directives of the agency.
Following that, the Directors of the Oyo State Gaming Board, Olajide Boladuro made a commitment to fighting the ills of the betting industry including tackling underage gambling during a recent Radio interview.
“We kick against underage gaming in every form and we have encouraged operators not to allow underage in their gaming centers”, Boladuro said.
“We are already speaking with relevant stakeholders such as a psychologist, medical experts and researchers in some educational institutions in the state to facilitate the rehabilitation of addicted gamblers…”, he added.
Beyond the government agency, the operators should show some level of responsibility by adhering to the laws governing their operations.
Although some operators like KC Gaming Network have demonstrated some level of responsibility required of them and also giving back to the customers to limit excessive spending on bet stakes through their Bet9ja Bonus offer for new customers.
Overall, everyone has a role to play in ensuring a safe betting environment.
