Over two years ago, April 2024, to be specific, the Sporty Internet Limited froze the accounts of some users. The company had alleged the funds sitting in those accounts were heavily influenced by automated software programs (bots), rather than genuine winnings, and that the action had become imperative pending the time investigations would be completed.
But, besides denying the company’s claim, the over 114 users, whose funds, totaling about N960m, were trapped, since 2024, in the betting site’s vault, have been complaining. They have filed petitions with relevant security and regulatory agencies in the ecosystem, including the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), the Police Special Fraud Unit, the Force Intelligence and Investigation Department, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the National Lottery Regulatory Commission ( NLRC), with the simple prayer of being allowed to have access to those winnings.
Interestingly, their case seems not an isolated one. Not too long ago, Anthony Anozie, who had been using the platform, since 2023, had complained of being locked out, after he had grown his account balance to nearly N18 million, through successive wins.
According to him, repeated requests for documentation, including his international passport, never resulted in the account being reopened.
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The common concern, among the aggrieved customers, however, is that instead of giving them the much-needed assurances, the company is leaving them in the dark, as to the next step to be taken, a development that has continued to elicit anger, frustrations and anxiety.
Unfortunately, despite the complaints lodged by Kolawole Idowu, , Chisom Perpetual, Nwadaba Obinna and Baruwa Abdulazeez, some of the affected users, to the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, since May 2024, reprieve is yet to come the way of these complainants.
According to, their solicitor, Kunle Bamidele of Prolex Solicitors, the accounts still remain frozen.
Interestingly, the question the public would want answered is the exact status of the funds, and whether they are legitimate winnings, being wrongly withheld, or proceeds of manipulated accounts, rightly flagged.
Interestingly, none of the actions so far taken by the betting company seems to have resolved the question, nearly two and a half years after the accounts were first frozen.
Upon enquiry, a staff who identified himself as Oluwagbenga, at the Customers Desk of the company, who had thought the correspondent was putting the call through as a bettor, simply asked the correspondent to drop its enquiries at the Nigeriadotsupport.com, when he was informed about the purpose of the call.
According to him, that is the place such complaints are being attended to, on leaving the details of the complainants.
Interestingly, such efforts did not yield much fruits in the past, and he was made to realise this.
“That is the place you can be attended to, you will leave the details of those users, including their names and their betting numbers, and you will be reached,” he told the correspondent..
Implications for the $3.6b industry
Not a few believe the implications are huge for an industry estimated at over $3.6billion (over N730billion) annually.
For instance, the development, they noted, may shake the trust of over 60 to 65 million Nigerians, actively engaged in sports betting and online gaming since it is an ecosystem that thrives on trust.
Besides, being one of the industry giants, alongside others such as Bet9ja, 1xBet and BetKing, its actions might be taken to be the general attitude of operators in the ecosystem, a mindset that may send negative signals to patrons and prospective industry.
Unfortunately, the silence being maintained by the betting company, NLRC and state level boards, saddled with the responsibilities of overseeing activities, and others, in the sector, many believed, is doing the sector more harm than good.
They described as regrettable, the fact that the question of whether the winnings are legitimate, but wrongly withheld, or proceeds of manipulated accounts, rightly flagged, remains largely unanswered, two years after.
They also wonder for how long the aggrieved customers would have to wait before getting their prayers answered.
Interestingly, two years after, there is no appeal, no ruling to wait for, no announced timelines from anyone, but funds that have sat untouched, while the frustrations, concerns and anxiety of the affected customers have continued to grow.
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