Sports betting has always been a popular pastime. And it still is today. Millions of people in Nigeria and all around the globe put both time and money into wagering activities. And it is no wonder that wagering these days is quite convenient. With the advent of technology, betting apps have become a staple in gambling culture. They are expected to provide top-notch services and be easy to use. To put it simply, the best betting apps in Nigeria had to compete for that title.

Sports wagering may range from placing bets on a favorite team to turning gambling into the main source of income. You can find casual bettors and proper punters.

But, regardless of the reasons for which a person bets, some sports attract more punters than others. Today we will examine the five of them that garnered the most attention from people worldwide.

1. Football

In the world of sports betting nothing can topple the sheer dominance exemplified by football. It reigns as king for almost a century and with grand events like World Cup, Champions league and such attracting tens of thousands of millions of people it seems highly unlikely that it will go away anytime soon.  

Football betting is lucrative beyond belief. Punters are placing wagers both on various sites and offline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They wager on events of international level, such as UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup, or in-country championships, like The English Premier League, Italian Serie A or Nigeria Professional Football League.

2. Tennis

Not too far from football, comes tennis. A posh sport, highly sophisticated. Yet it is enjoyed by almost everyone. With grandiose events, like Australian, French and US Opens attracting millions of fans, hefty rewards for winners and stars like Nadal, Federer or Djokovic, tennis secured itself a position of an elite, yet amusing sport.

Punters may wager on singles, doubles, and mixed doubles at the best tennis betting sites with a variety of betting choices including outright, in-play and more. And since the events are scheduled annually, there is always a game to bet on.

3. Basketball

Basketball, since its inception in the late 1800s, has been a sport oriented towards acquiring as much attention as possible. Due to its fast pace, necessary skills of the players, and stunning moves like dunks and threes.

We should thank the prodigious minds behind the NBA for realizing the potential of the sport and molding it into what it is today. They came up with the idea of heavily branded teams with catchy names. And they also shaped the expressed individuality of each player into the concept of the super-star ace, exemplified by the likes of LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Stephen Curry, and Magic Johnson.

Basketball betting is a lucrative, high-intensity section of the market. Always blooming and ever so exciting. The longevity of the season and the abundance of games give bettors the opportunity to wager in several ways, such as parlays, moneyline totals, etc.

4. Martial Arts

Martial arts are a prime example of a stable, in-demand section of the betting industry. It is hard to tell when and where the practice of putting wagers on fights originated, but suffice to say that it was and is one of the most prominent and profitable ventures out there.

Nowadays, martial arts wagering is represented by a plethora of options. From Muay Thai to boxing. In recent years, however, MMA, or Mixed Martial Arts, has risen in popularity because of its leniency in rules and the variety of fighting styles put on display. We can thank the brilliant people behind UFC for providing the world with a level of showmanship exhibited not quite often. 

Since then, MMA wagering has become huge, both in terms of the number of people willing to bet and the amount of funds circulating in the market.

5. E-sports

Since the early 2000s, e-sports has been gaining more and more traction. Today, they are recognized as being a real deal, and offer a career path for passionate gamers all across the world. 

Although they are grouped under the same banner, the games which are played differ vastly from one another. E-sports contain such prominent competitive games as DoTA 2, Counter Strike:Global Offensive, League of Legends, Starcraft 2, various fighting games and so forth. Basically, if a game exists, it probably has a dedicated competitive scene.

The official recognition of e-sports opened up a market for betting never before seen. They are now widely represented across bookmaker platforms and both gamers and people who are just curious can try out staking at them now. 

Final Thoughts

The sports listed above are merely the tip of the iceberg of the world of wagering. There are numerous other sports you can wager on. We hope that you’ve found this article interesting and we wish you all the luck in your future bets.