European countries show a strong presence in top 10 online gambling participation, with Norway taking the lead (30.2%)

Key takeaways:

  • Five  European countries make the top 10 list in online gambling participation.
  • Norway tops the list with 30.2% of internet users aged 16+ involved in online gambling.
  • South Africa follows closely behind at 30.0%, making it the highest in Africa among the countries studied.
  • Nigeria's 19.0% participation rate exceeds that of the U.K., marking a significant shift in global online gambling behaviour.
  • Brazil slightly edges out Nigeria at 19.5%, showing the trend’s strong hold in Latin America.
  • New Zealand and Greece also post high figures at 26.2% and 22.5% respectively, reflecting strong uptake in smaller but digitally active nations.
  • Australia ranks surprisingly low at 17.2%, despite its known betting culture.

Countries like Norway and South Africa are leading in the engagement of online gambling 30% participation among internet users aged 16 and above. Nigeria ranks above countries like the U.K. and Australia, with 19.0% of its online population engaging in online gambling as of September 2024. Notably, five European countries (Norway, Greece, Hungary, the United Kingdom, and Austria) make the top ten list, indicating high online gambling engagement in the continent.
Nigeria’s leap ahead of traditionally gambling-heavy countries like the U.K. (17.9%) shows how mobile accessibility and sports enthusiasm are shaping online activity. In cities like Lagos and Port Harcourt, betting shops have evolved into digital platforms that fit seamlessly into the everyday mobile habits of young adults. The convenience of apps, combined with the growing influence of international football, has driven significant traction in the online gambling space, especially among youths aged 18 to 35.

Source:

Global Web Index (GWI)

Period:

2024
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
Sterling Financial Holdings Company is the youngest listed company in Nigeria, at just 3 years (Oct. 13, 2021)
  • Sterling Financial Holdings Company is Nigeria’s youngest listed PLC, at just 3 years (incorporated October 13, 2021).
  • Access Holdings and GT Holding Company are both only 4 years old, showing how recent banking reforms are shaping listing dynamics.
  • Airtel Africa is just 6 years old as a listed entity, highlighting the recent telecoms push into capital markets.
  • BUA Cement, only 11 years old, reflects how strategic industrial players are now aggressively leveraging public listings.
  • Financial services dominate the young PLCs list, from VFD Group (15 years) to First Holdco, Stanbic IBTC, and FCMB Group—all under 15.
  • Real estate and infrastructure players like UPDC REIT (12 years) and AVA Infrastructure Fund (10 years) show that capital-intensive sectors are increasingly tapping the market early.
In 2024, Presco Plc's ₦63.46 per share led the sector while Livestock Feeds Plc saw an exceptional 900.0% earnings rebound
  • Livestock Feeds Plc surged from a -₦0.08 loss per share to ₦0.64 EPS, marking a 900.0% improvement—the biggest turnaround in the sector.
  • Presco Plc posted ₦63.46 EPS in 2024, nearly doubling its previous year’s ₦32.41.
  • Okomu Oil Palm rose from ₦21.64 to ₦41.89, showing a 93.6% year-on-year growth.
  • FTN Cocoa Processors reduced its loss marginally, from -₦2.70 to -₦2.44, a 9.6% improvement.
  • The top two companies by EPS (Presco and Okomu) are significantly outperforming their peers.
About 3 out of every 10 (29.25%) listed companies in Nigeria are in the Financial Services sector
  • Financial Services account for 29.93% of all listed companies, far ahead of any other sector.
  • Services and Consumer Goods sectors each have 20 listed companies, showing strong competition for second place.
  • Industrial Goods (13 companies) and Construction/Real Estate (10 companies) round out the mid-tier listings.
  • The ICT sector has only 8 listed companies, despite being central to digital transformation in Nigeria.
  • Oil and Gas (8) and Healthcare (7) reflect moderate participation in the public markets.
  • Agriculture has just 5 listed firms, despite being one of Nigeria’s largest employers—suggesting a capital access gap.
  • The utilities sector is the least represented sector, with only 2 listed companies.
At 104 years old, Royal Exchange stands as the oldest PLC listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group
  • Royal Exchange is Nigeria’s oldest listed PLC at 104 years, incorporated on February 28, 1921.
  • Unilever (101 years) and UAC Nigeria (94 years) follow closely behind, cementing their status as legacy multinationals.
  • Greif Nigeria (85 years) and May & Baker Nigeria (81 years) show enduring pharmaceutical and industrial presence.
  • Wema Bank is the oldest bank on the list at 80 years, showcasing longevity in financial services.
  • Consumer goods dominate the list, with companies like PZ Cussons, Nigerian Breweries, and Guinness all exceeding 75 years.
  • Four companies (Chellarams, PZ Cussons, Thomas Wyatt, and Nigerian Breweries) were all incorporated 77-78 years ago, pointing to a cluster of post-WWII business growth.
  • The youngest on the list—RT Briscoe—is still 68 years old, proving that listing longevity is no accident but a product of strategic resilience.
Baillie Gifford, Jumia’s largest institutional investor, holds stakes in some of the world’s major tech giants
  • Mercado Libre leads with $8.5B, making it Baillie Gifford’s most valuable tech holding after its Jumia exit.
  • Amazon ($6.2B) and NVIDIA ($6.8B) remain major anchors in the portfolio, highlighting confidence in cloud, AI, and e-commerce.
  • The "Others" category holds the largest share ($75B), showing how Baillie Gifford’s exposure is spread widely beyond the major names.
  • Even post-Jumia, the portfolio is deeply rooted in innovation, with stakes in Spotify, Cloudflare, Moderna, and Shopify; covering audio streaming, cybersecurity, biotech, and e-commerce platforms.
Over the past 30 years, Kenya has topped global elephant ivory seizures. Nigeria ranks 7th with 23,031 kg confiscated
  • Kenya recorded the highest ivory seizure among the top 10 countries, with 130,432 kg confiscated over the 34-year period.
  • China and Hong Kong follow closely, with 106,069 kg and 75,707 kg seized, respectively, showing their long standing roles as critical players in the global ivory network.
  • Vietnam and Singapore, both located in Southeast Asia, had substantial seizure records; 71,256 kg and 29,882 kg, indicating persistent trafficking through the region.
  • Nigeria leads West Africa in ivory confiscations within the top 10, with 23,031 kg, signalling its importance as a key node in the transit chain.
  • All countries listed in the top 10 are either source, transit, or destination points in the global ivory supply chain, reflecting how widespread and interconnected the illegal trade remains.
POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form
A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved