Bet Shops Come Alive Again

It has been a great relief for many football fans and followers as football in the major European leagues resumed this month, thanks to the ingenuity of the German Bundesliga in taking the lead to get their football season back on course.

When All Sports Predictions paid a visit to some betting shops in Lagos this week to get the thoughts of bettors on the resumption of football in Germany after months of inactivity, it was tales of endurance and gratitude that poured from the lips of some bettors.

According to Owolabi Lawal, “It was a complete disaster when all sporting activities were cancelled and there was nothing to bet on. Things got worse for me when in the middle of the lockdown, I had spent all the money with me and there was no way to make money. If it were before, I would have logged into my betting account and made some money by placing a bet, but with nothing to bet on, it was a hopeless situation. I am just thankful that the German league is back and soon others will commence also.”

Segun Abiola was another bettor who could not stop praising the Bundesliga Management. He said, “I wish all the other leagues were as efficient as the Germans. England is still busy deciding whether to train or not. The others need to borrow a leaf from the Bundesliga and get us all back to where we use to be. As I am now, since the resumption of the Bundesliga, I bet like 7 tickets at a go and I am happy that at least 2 or 3 of those tickets normally enter. They have really done a good thing.”

The story was the same for Kingsley Obasi who confirmed that the first weekend of the resumption of the Bundesliga, he won N20, 000. He described his experience as pure joy and a victory for humanity against the Covid19 pandemic.

One of the operation bet shop operators who was more than happy to lend his voice to the conversation said sports betting had been a serious source of living for him before the lockdown as a result of the global pandemic, and during the lockdown, things became difficult such that he was unable to feed his family. He said he was happy that things are now returning to normal and betting activities are now taking place.

There is no doubt that the Coronavirus pandemic has come to change our world in ways that we cannot even imagine. With the scheduled resumption of some of the major leagues in Europe, and the volume of business transactions that is expected in the betting sector, it is yet to be seen how betting shops will adapt and reposition in this era of social distancing and personal hygiene. However, one thing is certain. The influx of bettors to betting shops located across the cities in Nigeria is inevitable giving the unprecedented economic challenges that more people would have to face as the world try to get back on its feet. Success or otherwise in the betting space will now depend largely on the ingenuity of betting companies to offer products remotely and securely thus guaranteeing bettors safety and continued patronage.

By Remi Olatunde