What do you believe is the single most important factor driving up the cost of living in Nigeria?

Betting on soccer games is a popular pastime in many African countries. A 2024 report by GeoPoll found that 76.16% of respondents from Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria had gambled or placed bets and that soccer was by far the most popular sport to bet on. Young men (aged 16 to 34) make up the bulk of soccer bettors in those countries.

Much has been written about the negative aspects of sports betting, including the risk of gambling addiction and becoming involved in money laundering. But, as we show in recent research from Zimbabwe, there are perhaps surprising upsides to the practice, too.

We examined how young men in urban Zimbabwe used soccer betting to mitigate the effects of unemployment and to earn an income. We found that, in addition to being a source of income, betting also promotes the adoption of digital technologies among this group. It provides them with an opportunity to learn digital, internet, research, and networking and collaboration skills that they might not have developed in school.

This means that what outsiders might view as wasted time is actually being used productively to prepare for the future. The skills our participants learn through soccer betting are useful for finding jobs and in other areas of life.

The waiting game

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