The Cyprus-based online bookmaker 1xBet has secured a National License to operate in Nigeria. The license, which expires in 2025, has been issued by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission in the country and it strengthens the African presence for the company.
With the new, 5-year license, 1xBet will be able to operate its sports betting brand in every state across Nigeria. After being granted the official authorization by the country’s gambling regulator, the firm emphasized its plans to promote responsible gambling and contribute to a healthier betting environment in Nigeria. In a statement, the bookmaker said that it aimed at setting “new standards of betting culture” in the country.
This is not the firm’s first experience in Nigeria. It is already quite popular in the country after, in 2018, it signed a partnership agreement with Nigeria’s Football Federation, the country’s national football team, and the Nigerian Premier League. It has a strong presence across Africa, as well, being an official sponsor of the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF). The bookmaker has supported some of the largest football tournaments on the continent in the past few years.
In addition, 1xBet is a Media Partner of the Spanish LaLiga and a Presenting Sponsor of Italy’s Serie A, as well as a partner of the Brazilian Serie A. The bookmaker is a global partner of FC Barcelona and until recently, it was also a sponsor of several big football clubs in the UK, namely Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool. It is licensed in Ghana, Senegal, Uganda, Cameroon, and other markets in Africa.
In its statement, the bookmaker said that it wanted to “teach” its customers that they need to comply with certain rules while betting on the 1xBet website. This includes complying with the daily transaction limits introduced by financial authorities in the country. The firm also noted that it has added a spending limit on its betting platform to promote responsible gambling. However, 1xBet’s reputation was compromised following media reports and an investigation into the firm’s global operations.
Shocking Allegations Ended 1xBet’s Partnerships in the UK
2019 has not been very successful for 1xBet and its operating companies and subsidiaries. In Nigeria, the bookmaker is now represented by Beaufortbet Nigeria Limited, while in Europe, it is operated by Cyprus-based 1X Corp N.V. and Hermes Consulting N. V. Its international remote gaming license is issued by the jurisdiction of Curacao, which is known for authorizing operators of questionable reputation. Originally, however, the company started its operations in Russia where it is now blacklisted.
The bookmaker offered its services to British punters, as well, but things changed after an investigation published in the British newspaper Sunday Times. According to the report, 1xBet’s operations in other countries offered betting on cockfights and children’s sports tournaments. The unethical and downright illegal activities of the bookmaker were revealed in other media publications, which claimed that the cockfights were streamed live on the betting site.
The most shocking allegation, however, was that 1xBet had operated a “pornhub casino” as The Times described it. The bookmaker had allegedly hosted live casino games with topless female croupiers – and the nudity did not stop there. The media reports immediately caught the attention of the Gambling Commission in the UK, which launched a probe into the allegations.
As a result of the media storm, the English Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur terminated its partnership with 1xBet in September. Soon, Liverpool and Chelsea followed suit, while the bookmaker’s UK website was blocked.
