So you are new to this betting business and aren't sure of how to deposit money into your account? Well, we have got excellent news for you! In this article, we will take you through the different means of depositing money into your betting account, and give advice on the best payment methods.

Funding your betting accounts is a very simple process, with most betting sites in Nigeria offering numerous payment methods. Read on to find out the most convenient deposit means available to Nigerian players.

Nigerian players are in luck, as most bookmakers operating in the country allow us to make transactions in Naira, and offer several deposit methods. However, some of these methods are more convenient and advantageous than others.

Some may take a longer time to process, while others may require additional transaction fees. Follow us as we give a detailed breakdown of the most convenient payment methods in Nigeria so that you can make the right choices in funding your accounts.

How to make a deposit on a betting site

There are numerous means of depositing money into your betting account in Nigeria, ranging from online deposits to offline deposits.

Online deposits are clearly more convenient as you can fund your account from the comfort of your PC or your smartphone, while offline deposit may require you to visit a bank, an ATM or a physical betting outlet to pay via an agent.

We will now look at these deposit methods in more detail in our bid to help you make the right decisions.

Best Deposit Methods for Nigerian players

• Card Deposit
• Quickteller
• Opay
• Internet Banking
• Bank Deposit
• ATM Deposit
• Deposits via an Agent

Take a good look at the deposit methods above, and make a note of which one you think you are able to use. If you are still struggling to make a decision, you need not to worry. We will now take a closer look at each of these deposit methods, and by the time we are done, we guarantee that you will know which payment method is best for you!

(Please note that these methods are generic payment methods and may appear as different names on different betting sites.)

The Cards Deposit option allows you to deposit money into your betting account via your debit card, or ATM card, as we popularly call it in Nigeria. The deposit is usually done through intermediary payment gateways like Interswitch or Paystack.

A lot of Nigerians have bank accounts and ATM cards, making cards deposits the most popular online deposit method in the country.

Some betting sites like Bet9ja list this payment option as "Instant Cards Deposit", while others name theirs directly after the payment gateway. For instance, you will find the "Paystack" option on both NairaBet and Betway.

All of these options function in a very similar way, with the basic requirement being the ownership of a bank account and an active ATM card.

Most ATM cards issued in Nigeria are debit cards, meaning that you must have enough funds in your bank account before carrying out any transaction. If you meet all of these requirements, you can go ahead and fund your betting accounts.

This method of funding is free, fast, safe and secure. It usually requires that you enter your name, card number, card expiry date, PIN and the security number at the back of your card. The payment system also requires that you provide a token number or an OTP password, which is sent to your phone or email, as an extra layer of security in your transaction.

Quickteller is one of the most efficient payment platforms in Nigeria, widely utilized by many organizations and individuals to process their transactions. Quickteller allows you to send and receive money, purchase airtime, and pay all sorts of bills, including electricity bills, airfares, school fees, and online shopping bills via the internet.

While Quickteller is fast and secure, this payment method comes with an additional transaction fee, which can be as low as 25 Naira or as high as 100 Naira, depending on the bookmaker.

When you click on the Quickteller link from a betting site, you are taken to directly to the bookie's unique payment page, where you will be asked to enter details like your email, a customer identification number (with the bookmaker) and amount you want to pay into your account.

Quickteller is a very common payment option with Nigerian bookmakers.

You can then choose to complete the payment via your bank card (and subsequently fill in your card details) or finish up the transaction via the QR Code method. If you choose the QR Code payment method, you will be asked to scan a barcode with your mobile banking app, which then allows you to complete the transaction on your phone.

You do not need to have a Quickteller account to fund your account via the Quickteller platform.

The OPay payment platform is relatively new in Nigeria, but it is becoming increasingly popular due to its usefulness in our day-to-day activities.

OPay is not just for sending and receiving money or paying online bills, it also renders important services like transportation and feeding via its OCar, ORide and OFood options. Hence, you can order for a car or request for lunch via the OPay platform!

Not many betting sites have this payment option, but two of the most popular sites in Nigeria, Bet9ja and NairaBET, allow you to fund your account via OPay.

What makes OPay even more appealing is that payment comes with no transaction fee. In fact, rather than paying more, you get to pay less on OPay, with the platform giving as high as a 10% discount to customers who fund their accounts via the medium! If you haven't tried out OPay, you should really go check it out.

To perform transactions on OPay, you must log into your account and have enough funds in your OPay wallet. Once you log into your OPay account, click on the betting menu on the home screen, choose the applicable betting site, and fill the simple details required.

The app is available for Android and iOS devices and can be downloaded via the Google Play Store and the App Store.

Internet banking (also known as online banking) allows you to transfer funds directly from your bank account to your betting account. This is usually done through your bank's internet banking platform or via the bank's mobile app.

All you need to do is to log into your internet banking account, navigate to the option where you can fund your betting account, fill in the necessary details and pay. Most betting sites have navigation guides to take you to their payment page on the bank's site or app.

Internet Banking is a super-fast, safe, smart and efficient way of funding your betting account.

This payment method is very secure, as it involves direct transactions between your bank and your betting account without the need for any third-party payment portal. It usually comes with a service charge, ranging from 20 Naira to 50 Naira, depending on the betting site and the bank.

While some betting sites group this option under one heading, for example, Online Banking, others list them out bank by bank.

An example is found on Bet9ja, which has GT Bank Online/ Mobile transfer, Polaris Mobile Deposit, UBA Instant Bills Pay and Providus Bank Collect Pro App amongst its payment options.

The USSD means of payment is another form of mobile bank transfer, but in this case, you do not need an internet connection to carry out the transaction.

To fund your betting account, simply dial the stated USSD code on your phone and follow the instructions afterward. The USSD code is a fixed set of numbers and symbols, with the only variable being the amount of money you want to put into your account.

In most cases, you will be asked to provide your user identification, (called customer identification on some betting sites) and the PIN of your ATM card. Once these are supplied, your betting account will be credited instantly.

This payment method also attracts a service charge, but it is often not as high as the charges for internet banking. The USSD payment method is one of the fastest ways of funding your betting account, but the option is currently limited to just a handful of banks.

If you are having trouble with the online and mobile deposit methods, you have the option of funding your betting accounts via the different ATMs scattered across the country.

Finding an ATM should not be difficult, especially in big cities like Lagos and Abuja. While you do not need the internet to fund your account at the ATM, you obviously still need a bank account and a valid ATM card.

Once you locate the machine, insert your card and navigate to the point of payment. You will find a navigation guide on most betting sites, so study the guide carefully to know which buttons to press when you get to the machine.

Needless to say that this payment method is quite stressful, and to make matters worse, it comes with a service charge that can get as hefty as 100 Naira.

Another way of funding your betting account is by physically depositing the money in the bank. While this method is relatively tasking, it provides an alternate means of payment for players who do not have ATM cards or have problems with their internet.

As is the case with depositing money via internet banking, different bookmakers have accounts with different banks. So, make sure you confirm the banks that are available with your bookmaker before going down to any bank to fund your account.

You do not want to get to the bank and find that it is not listed among your bookie's deposit methods!

Depositing money into your betting accounts via this payment method is very similar to depositing money into any other bank account, and can be done via cheque or cash deposits, depending on the bookmaker and the bank.

Pick up a deposit slip (or cheque/fund transfer form) in the bank, fill the details as instructed by the bookmaker and submit to the cashier. Once it is processed, your betting account will be credited.

So what happens if you do not have a bank account or internet? Does that mean you cannot fund your betting account? Well, we are happy to report that not having a bank account isn’t the end of the world as you can still deposit money into your betting account via the bookmaker outlets in Nigeria.

Most bookmakers in Nigeria still operate physical stores in which customers can open betting accounts, fund their accounts and even place bets with the help of a resident agent. All you need to do is to provide your User or Customer Identification and give the agent the amount you want to deposit into your betting account.

There is usually no extra charge associated with this payment method, although some greedy agents may demand that you pay some extra money for the service.

In addition, some bookmakers, like NairaBet, allow customer-to-customer transfer, in which case funds can be transferred from one account to another without the need for an agent.