OPay's Gambling Promotion is Enabling Gambling Addiction

[Alphakilo]

I think we have a huge problem on our hands. I am an OPay user, and something deeply concerning is the betting notifications I get from them "Predict EURO winner & win big". I think it is unethical for a financial institution to partner with a gambling platform and promote the gambling platform in their fintech mobile app. They make it very easy for those who don't gamble to start gambling, and they make it hard for those who are struggling with gambling addiction to quit because you will keep seeing these notifications pop up on your phone. And this is a trigger.


Furthermore, I don't think customers get to choose which notifications they receive and which ones they don't. Also, when you visit the Ilotbet gambling platform, there is nowhere in their Terms and Conditions that provides an option for self-exclusion for those who want to take a break from gambling. The only option I think a user has is to delete the OPay app and focus on regular commercial banks, but this OPay app has its advantages.

Kindly note that I am not in any way addicted to gambling. Neither am I against gambling. This is just an observation. With the rising rate of gambling addiction, I think this issue will persist for a long time until they are called out on social media or in governemnt for facilitating gambling addiction and benefiting from it.

[Hatchy]

Kindly note that I am not in any way addicted to gambling. Neither am I against gambling.

Then why are you complaining about addiction on opay? For all I know, these microfinance banks partner with such sites to help increase promotions. And if you remember correctly, banks like opay, palmpay are faster, easier to carry out transactions on such online platforms and most people would prefer them to our commercial banks. Do we really have much gambling addicts in our country? Even though there are, most of the gamblers we have today are making good money from it and using those money to support their lives and families.

[Alphakilo]

Kindly note that I am not in any way addicted to gambling. Neither am I against gambling.

Then why are you complaining about addiction on opay?

You left the message and you are attacking the messenger. Does my write up seem like a complain. I am drawing attention of the public to a pertinent social issue and you term it complaining.

For all I know, these microfinance banks partner with such sites to help increase promotions.

I didn't dispute this. I only said that users should have to options to continue to choose which notifications they want to see or not. Did you miss that part?

Do we really have much gambling addicts in our country?

Yes there are and it is social issue that should be tackled from every corner.

Even though there are, most of the gamblers we have today are making good money from it and using those money to support their lives and families.

I didn't say that there are no people who feed their family through this. I wrote that it may be a trigger for those who want to quit and also there should be an option for self-exlclusion which other gambling website has that this gambling platform that OPAY is promoting doesn't have.

[Lida93]

Maybe I should remind you that Opay unlike the other commercial banks do have varieties of services you can use their platform for and one of such clearly indicated there is Betting , for funding of your fiat online gambling account, particularly for those that are gamblers and the process is seamless. Now, you don't find such option in commercial banks mobile apps which is why it shouldn't be surprising  seeing gambling ads been advertised in Opay platform. Am sure if commercial banks were allowed to have a space for betting service like the Fintechs they would have also had those gambling advert ads popping up too in their platform.

Apart from gambling ads, there are other useful adverts concerning investments and reward quiz  ads that also pops up in their platform, so it's just a function of the user's mindset on what they really want, you still ignore those gambling ads and go for the others that are useful to your person. These Fintechs offers a fast transaction service different from our usual commercial banks and you can't just delete the app because of one gambling ads. Like they say, "you don't throw the dirty water  away with the baby".

[Cityhunter34]

Well for me I think we can not take because of how Opay is partnerning with a gambling platform and say that they are not good, me too I'm Opay user I can not take because of their gambling betting sites notification and said that I we quit, so that we not get addicted to gambling bet my brother in as much as gambling bet is concerned anybody that said he will not be addicted to gambling we not be, because afterall is not by force you are the one to decide for your self however just like me I normally see those gambling betting notification on Opay app but since am not addicted to gambling I used to over look them because I can't take because of them and decide to stop using my Opay app no is highly not adviceble for anyone to take because of them and quit there Opay app.

[Richbased]

I am yet to comprehend the context in the OP like if a banking platform decides to do gambling promotions for any gambling site what is wrong with it? Isn't it for their customers to chose between listening to them or not. I use different banking platforms and some of them do advertise and promote other stuffs that are not related to the course of using their platform but it doesn't mean I pay attention to those adverts, anyone who want to engage in the things they advertise is at their own detriment, however they didn't make it mandatory that you must partake in those gambling promotions as well. I don't know how those gambling promotions and adverts leads to gambling addiction because an addict is an addict whether you try to persuade them or not.

Notifications from banking platforms are normal so if you don't like to receive those notifications i think there is an option in the app where you can disable the need for such notifications and continue with whatever financial engagement you want to perform with the apps.

Inasmuch as i know, Opay and other FINTECH banking platforms have been of great help and relief since their introduction because making transactions are easier and faster unlike going to the physical banks to make financial transactions that may result in delay of transactions so this thread appears more like a way of discrediting the apps which is not fair from my own perspective.

[Charles-Tim]

I am yet to comprehend the context in the OP like if a banking platform decides to do gambling promotions for any gambling site what is wrong with it? Isn't it for their customers to chose between listening to them or not.

OP is correct. I noticed that gambling is not well regulated in Nigeria. You will even see signboards full of gambling ads now in Nigeria. The government negligence is too much and it has been one of the reasons we are not well developed. Banking apps supposed not to have gambling ads in my opinion. The regulators do not care for people but care for their own pockets while the government are so ignorant.

[iBaba]

I am yet to comprehend the context in the OP like if a banking platform decides to do gambling promotions for any gambling site what is wrong with it? Isn't it for their customers to chose between listening to them or not.

OP is correct. I noticed that gambling is not well regulated in Nigeria. You will even see signboards full of gambling ads now in Nigeria. The government negligence is too much and it has been one of the reasons we are not well developed. Banking apps supposed not to have gambling ads in my opinion. The regulators do not care for people but care for their own pockets while the government are so ignorant.

Gambling has been order of the day, every day for a long time now because of how it has been advertised over and over again, it has given the mindset that it is normal to gamble regardless of the consequences it will bring to the gambler since government does not seem to be anywhere against it for a bit due to their negligence like you mentioned. But more deeply for me is to ask whether gambling is outrightly prohibited in Nigeria and what is the ruling to it. And if it is not, how is it meant to be regulated and Where's the gap.

[Charles-Tim]

But more deeply for me is to ask whether gambling is outrightly prohibited in Nigeria and what is the ruling to it. And if it is not, how is it meant to be regulated and Where's the gap.

Gambling is not banned in Nigeria. There are even many gambling sites in Nigeria.

To be regulated in a way that children will not see the gambling ads in public and other places. Gambling ads supposed not to be on signboards because children will easily see it. Also payment processors, fintechs and banks should not be allowed to promote gambling sites. Underage gambling should not be allowed et cetera.

[Hewlet]

Kindly note that I am not in any way addicted to gambling. Neither am I against gambling. This is just an observation. With the rising rate of gambling addiction, I think this issue will persist for a long time until they are called out on social media or in governemnt for facilitating gambling addiction and benefiting from it.

it's just one of the somany services Opay runs on her platform and if my guess isn't wrong, I feel that they run advert on literally most of the offers they have there. I sometimes get ads regarding doing my gotv subscription on my Opay app though not as frequent as the gambling advert. You've got to know that it depends on how much they are getting from the company they are partnering with that will determine how serious they will take such advert.

When you've done your recharge, transfer or subscription on your Opay account and you receive some bonus, most times you get notified to use your voucher to play bets on the weekend. What would have been good is to provide users the ability to ignoring those ads so it doesn't keep up coming but with the way they are going about it, although it's just a normal business stuff, people that haven't thought of going into gambling would easily start.

And I totally understand the aspect of addiction that you're considering cause as long as you can just directly place a bet through your Opay account, it's going to lead to reckless gambling. I know the countless number of times I just recharge my phone without taking an audit on how frequent it has been and I know if I start gambling through my Opay app, it's going to be really really addictive.

[Ever-young]

Kindly note that I am not in any way addicted to gambling. Neither am I against gambling.

Then why are you complaining about addiction on opay? For all I know, these microfinance banks partner with such sites to help increase promotions. And if you remember correctly, banks like opay, palmpay are faster, easier to carry out transactions on such online platforms and most people would prefer them to our commercial banks. Do we really have much gambling addicts in our country? Even though there are, most of the gamblers we have today are making good money from it and using those money to support their lives and families.

You are completely right, anyone who is an addict is an addict, no matter how and where they gamble. So I don't opay is making any gambler to be an addict, they are just doing their promotion just as you said and they are making transaction easy and faster for us, which has been be helping us all this while ever since our local board has doing or showing us some kind of attitudes and also they are not promoting or for anyone to gamble, they are only doing advertisment because in this country, even if you are rich, we will still be doing other things that will be fetching you more money so that is what they are doing and it's also our choice to adhere to their advertisment or not.