5 things new sports betting companies are doing wrong and how to make amends.

Speak Your Truth or Stay Irrelevant

If there is one thing I know for sure, it is this:

Speaking your truth is the only way to win. It is the only way to stay relevant. It is the only way to feel comfortable with yourself and the work you put into the world.

If even one director at a sports betting company understands this after reading, then this rant is worth it.

The reason I have built an audience and stayed relevant in the gaming industry is simple. People can see through nonsense.

For eight years, I have consistently produced content in this space. From my early days in school, building a betting community online, to sharing predictions, to selling what was then a best-selling lotto ebook, to growing platforms during my time at Bet9ja, and later helping drive momentum at BetKing.

The consistency built trust.

My pillars have always been gratitude, kindness, hustle, and results.

You may love me or criticize me. But you cannot deny the reps.

That trust is what gaming companies should be building instead of burning their one-year marketing budgets in three months just to look big.

No matter how much you spend, the market is the market.

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What Most Betting Companies Get Wrong

1. Trust

This industry runs on trust.

You can have millions of dollars in capital, but if you do not build trust with agents and customers, you will bleed money.

Many foreign investors and even Nigerians returning from abroad make the same mistake. They do not trust locals.

Yet they expect locals to invest 2 to 5 million naira into shop setups.

Trust is reciprocal.

If you want agents to invest their capital and time into your brand, you must build mechanisms that support them. Credit facilities, flexible structures, real support systems.

Not arrogance.

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2. Hiring the Wrong People

Another major mistake is hiring based purely on fluency, academic pedigree, or corporate polish.

This is not banking.

This is not telecom.

This is street-level retail blended with technology and finance.

Bringing in executives from unrelated industries and expecting them to apply banking logic to betting operations often destroys trust with agents and frontline operators.

Experience matters.

Hire people who understand the Nigerian betting ecosystem. Give competitive offers. Do not be stingy with talent.

The right team is not an expense. It is insurance.

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3. Marketing Without Reality

Yes, marketing is critical.

But many new companies create a fake narrative instead of doing the real work.

They spend heavily on billboards, radio, and TV just to “announce arrival.”

Meanwhile, attention has shifted.

Look around you. Drivers are not staring at billboards. They are looking at their phones.

Social media is where attention lives.

Billboards are not measurable. You cannot retarget someone who glanced at your board for three seconds.

Digital branding is measurable. Targetable. Optimizable.

When we co-founded BetKing, one advantage was that most competitors were playing the same old game.

Slow and steady wins.

You are not competing with everyone. You are competing with your own strategy.

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4. Branding: What Do You Stand For?

Every strong brand has a clear identity.

1960Bet pushed retail early.
Nairabet positioned itself as king of online.
Bet9ja disrupted the market and became dominant.
BetKing built the “Kingmaker” identity.

So what do you stand for?

What is your narrative?

Your brand identity must flow consistently across social media, retail environments, and customer experience.

Content creation is not optional. It must include video and image formats tailored to each platform.

And the best part? Digital branding is measurable. You can target by age, income, employment, and behavior.

Ad prices are still underpriced compared to traditional media.

That window will not stay open forever.

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5. Stop Obsessing Over Competition

The Nigerian market is massive.

There are tens of millions of eligible bettors.

You do not need to obsess over attacking established brands with billions in war chests.

There is room.

Focus on building your own ecosystem.

If you have deep capital and want to compete aggressively, fine. But most companies would be wiser to build patiently and strategically.

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Final Thought

I am pushing this hard because I genuinely want more companies to succeed.

That is it.

A stronger industry benefits everyone.

Build trust.
Hire correctly.
Brand strategically.
Spend wisely.
Play the long game.

I wish you clarity and success.

— Adekunle Adeniji