The rapid expansion of gambling in low-income communities across West Africa may be worsening economic hardship among young people, a new policy analysis has warned. The analysis, conducted by Joshua Biem, Senior Policy and Research Analyst at Nextier, and Olive Aniunoh, Legal, Policy and Research Consultant at Nextier, examined the growing presence of betting shops in vulnerable communities in Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone.
According to the researchers, betting outlets have increasingly become fixtures in slums, motor parks and informal settlements across major West African cities. They argued that the concentration of betting shops in such locations was linked to the economic vulnerability of residents, particularly young people facing limited employment opportunities and weak social support systems.
The report identified Nigeria as one of Africa’s largest gambling markets. Industry estimates cited in the analysis put Nigeria’s overall betting revenue at as much as $3.63 billion in 2025. It further estimated that more than 60 million Nigerians, mostly between the ages of 18 and 40, regularly participate in betting.
The researchers noted that the expansion of gambling has occurred alongside a worsening youth unemployment crisis. They argued that the combination has created a concerning relationship between economic exclusion and increased participation in gambling.
“Gambling functions less as a pathway out of poverty than as a coping mechanism for it,” the authors stated.
According to them, young people who view betting as an alternative source of income may become more vulnerable to debt. They warned that accumulated financial pressure could, in some circumstances, contribute to informal criminal activities as individuals attempt to recover losses or meet financial obligations.
The authors called for greater coordination in the regulation of the gambling industry across affected countries. Among their recommendations was the harmonisation of gambling regulations, alongside stronger age and identity verification requirements. They also advocated restrictions on the concentration and location of betting outlets, particularly in economically vulnerable communities.
The researchers further recommended intelligence-led monitoring of betting clusters associated with debt-related theft, cultism and fraud. They argued that monitoring such patterns could help authorities identify communities where gambling-related economic pressures may be contributing to wider social problems.
Beyond regulating betting companies, the report called for governments to address the underlying economic conditions that make young people vulnerable to gambling.
The researchers recommended targeted livelihood programmes, vocational training and financial literacy initiatives in slums and peri-urban communities. According to them, such interventions would help tackle the economic desperation being monetised by gambling operators.
They also urged gambling companies to strengthen responsible-gambling measures. These measures, they said, should include self-exclusion systems, spending limits and advertising rules designed to prevent the deliberate targeting of economically vulnerable youths.
The report stressed that betting outlets should not automatically be regarded as the direct cause of criminality. The researchers concluded that betting shops do not “manufacture criminality” on their own. Rather, they tend to establish themselves in communities where economic desperation is already widespread.
They warned, however, that the continued growth of an under-regulated betting economy could intensify existing social pressures if the underlying problems remain unresolved. According to the report, governments must address unemployment, debt, weak social protection and urban marginalisation to prevent gambling from reinforcing the economic conditions associated with youth unrest across West Africa.
