Sports
Lottery Betting in Nigeria
On this page 4
Lottery in-and-of itself is not sufficient for punters interested in greatly improving their odds. This is where lottery betting, actually betting on the lottery like a sporting event, comes into play.
Betting vs Playing the Lottery
As most familiar with gambling would have assumed, lottery betting might feature lower odds due to the ability to win without matching all numbers but also features significantly smaller winnings. Not surprising, as the only draw of lotteries are their jackpot sizes so anything with lower odds are bound to feature smaller prizes.
9 bookmakers our editors use from Nigeria, ranked on offer, cashiers and payout speed.
How we rate- 1
Welcome offer300% up to ₦600,000NLRC licensed- Min deposit
- ₦1,700
- Wallet payout
- 24 h
- Apps
- Android · iOS
- Online since
- 2007
- 2
Welcome offerUp to ₦150,000- Apps
- Android · iOS
- Online since
- 2024
- 3
Welcome offer100% up to ₦180,000- Min deposit
- ₦1,500
- Wallet payout
- 1 h
- Apps
- Android · iOS
- Online since
- 2019
- Min deposit
- ₦1,615
- Wallet payout
- 24 h
- Apps
- Android
- Online since
- 2019
- Min deposit
- ₦9,100
- Wallet payout
- 7 days
- Apps
- Android · iOS
- Online since
- 2019
- 6
888StarzCuraçaoWelcome offer100% up to ₦140,000Up to ₦560,000 over four deposits- Min deposit
- ₦1,400
- Wallet payout
- 1 h
- Online since
- 2020
- Min deposit
- ₦1,542
- Wallet payout
- 24 h
- Apps
- Android · iOS
- Online since
- 2017
- 8
Welcome offerUp to ₦100,000 a day10% of daily stakes back as free bets, up to ₦100,000 a day for 7 daysNLRC licensed- Min deposit
- ₦1,000
- Wallet payout
- 24 h
- Apps
- Android · iOS
- Online since
- 2006
- Min deposit
- ₦455
- Wallet payout
- 24 h
- Apps
- Android · iOS
- Online since
- 2012
Bonus amounts, minimum deposits and payout windows come from the operators’ Nigerian pages and change without notice — read the offer terms before you deposit. 18+ only, and betting is not a way to pay bills: how to stop when it stops being fun.
But if betting on the lottery greatly reduces the potential winnings, what's the value? Well as somewhat explained, betting on the lottery increases your rate of return astronomically due to the ability to win based on a single number selection. The major lottery jackpots that draw all the media attention can have odds as high as 200,000,000/1 because the only way to secure the jackpot is hitting all numbers. If you get all the numbers correct but one - which happens more than you think - you still win nothing, some exceptions apply but they are rare and usually only result in small prizes for second and third place.
But if you place a ₦10,000 bet on the same lottery and you hit all but one number, you walk away with winnings at 50,000/1 odds or ₦500,000,000 as opposed to nothing had you played those numbers instead of betting them. Now ₦500,000,000 might not compare very favorably to the more familiar ₦500 billion winnings associated with those major international draws but when compared to the nothing you get when missing just one or two numbers, it's a good deal.
Lottery Betting Explained
Lottery betting is pretty straightforward; it’s a bet with a bookmaker on the outcome of a major lottery draw. Instead of buying a lottery ticket for a popular draw from a lottery concierge service, players place bets on numbers with odds set by the bookmaker, like football betting, and then watch the results to see if they fall out of the numbers they’ve selected.
Our sites might offer odds of 5/1 on the first number coming up, then gradually increase the odds based on the total number of numbers correctly selected, eventually reaching around 50,000/1 for all numbers correctly selected. The operator, not the lottery service, then awards players their winnings. Like sports betting, lottery betting has nothing to do with the actual event, in this case, the lottery draw, but simply predicts the final outcome of that event.
Advantages of Lottery Betting
First and foremost, betting on and playing the lottery do not have to exist separately. It is completely legal, depending on Nigerian gambling rules and the operator’s terms, and highly suggested by some to play your favorite numbers while simultaneously betting those numbers with a lotto bookie. This would in-turn mean if you actually win the lottery by selecting ALL the right numbers, you also win your bet ensuring your total winnings would be unfathomable.
The most obvious advantage to betting the lottery is the ability to win without fulfilling all the requirements of a specific lottery draw. Players can incur smaller winnings by only matching a few or even one number, increasing rate of return. Players can actually regularly involve themselves in lottery draws with the hopes of frequently bringing home winnings, as opposed to most lottery players who never see a single naira in winnings.
Players also have the luxury of avoiding regulation confusion as players looking to enjoy country lotteries from outside Nigeria can occasionally face legality issues. Reputable lottery guides can explain how playing national lotteries through credible concierge services works, but some players prefer the lack of confusion with betting the lottery as it is treated like a typical sports punt.
Where Can You Bet on the Lottery?
Players looking to play national lotteries from foreign countries can pretty easily find an online lottery service to assist in the process but those looking to place a bet and not actually play might have a little more trouble tracking down an operator.
Although lottery betting isn't a completely new concept, it's still in its infancy. A majority of readers enjoying this content might not have even known this form of lottery play was offered. Sports betting enthusiasts might be the ones most familiar as a majority of the top betting operators offer lottery betting as a market while others have embraced the product’s growth, featuring entirely separate lotto sections on their betting platforms.
