Online sports betting platform, SportyBet has explained the reason why access to betting slips was restricted on Wednesday night, blaming it on some technical issues. The company disclosed this in a statement on the matter.
Recall that on Wednesday night, while 18 UEFA Champions League matches were being played simultaneously across Europe, thousands of Nigerian bettors say they suddenly lost access to their betting slips on SportyBet, a sports betting platform, right in the middle of live games.
Users reported that they could place new bets but couldn’t view existing ones or cash out early, a feature that allows bettors to lock in profits or reduce losses before a match ends. Many said access only returned after full-time, when their bets had already settled, often unsuccessfully.
SportyBet later issued a statement saying a technical issue temporarily affected the visibility of open bets for some users and that the problem has since been resolved. The company added that affected users would be contacted with an apology.
When SportyBet betting tools stopped working mid-game
During live sports matches, sports bettors find two features most important: open tickets and cashout. Open tickets display bets that are still in progress. Cashout lets users end a bet early to secure a profit or minimize losses before the game finishes. On Tuesday, many users reported that both of these features were unavailable at crucial points in the game.
This breakdown is crucial because betting odds change rapidly. Goals, red cards, or momentum shifts can alter odds in seconds, preventing bettors from managing their funds during live matches if they lack access.
Some users said this kind of problem has happened before, especially on busy football nights. Others pointed out that the platform kept taking new bets while the outage was happening, which makes them wonder why only existing bets were impacted.
The incident has ignited concerns about consumer protection in Nigeria’s wide betting industry. With millions of young Nigerians regularly using betting apps, platform reliability is paramount to maintaining trust.
Users have reported the betting platform to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), claiming unfair business practices and financial losses. Although the FCCPC hasn’t announced an official investigation, the public outcry shows that betting platforms can quickly face criticism when their systems fail during high-traffic periods.
For SportyBet, the challenge now isn’t just fixing bugs, it’s restoring confidence. Betting platforms operate almost entirely on trust: users stake real money on outcomes they can’t control, relying on apps to function properly when it matters most.
Bettors are closely watching to see if SportyBet’s apology leads to tangible improvements or becomes another point of contention in Nigeria’s expanding digital gambling market.
