‘Ban Bet9ja, Nairabet, Other Sports Betting Apps In Nigeria’, Reno Omokri Tells Tinubu

Reno Omokri, the former Special Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan, has called on President Bola Tinubu to ban sports betting apps in Nigeria.

VerseNews reports that Omokri in a of tweet on X (formerly Twitter) said such a ban could improve the value of the Naira, citing the National Lottery Trust Fund’s claim that $1 billion is spent daily on gambling in Nigeria.

He highlighted the economic impact, stating that a significant portion of the money spent on gambling leaves the country.

He urged Tinubu to issue an Executive Order to ban sports betting apps, emphasizing the potential positive effect on the nation’s economy.

Omokri wrote: “President Tinubu can immediately improve the economic conditions of most Nigerians and make the Naira grow by issuing an Executive Order authorising the Nigerian Communications Commission to ban sports betting apps from the App Store of any GSM Internet Service Provider in Nigeria and revoking the licences of any physical sports betting operators in Nigeria. It makes better sense than Buhari’s draconian #TwitterBan.

“There is such an epidemic of gambling in Nigeria and it is destroying Nigerian youths. $1 billion is spent on gambling daily in Nigeria, according to the National Lottery Trust Fund. Please fact-check me. The average Nigerian spends $15 daily on sports betting and other types of gambling, with the vast majority of that amount leaving our economy and going to places like Russia, South Africa, and Europe. The Naira can never sustain its rally under such circumstances.

“A lot of the petty crime in Nigeria is caused by youths seeking money, by any means, to fund their gambling habit. It would be irresponsible for a first-class accountant like Tinubu not to act on such a matter as threatening to our national security as this gambling epidemic.”