Every score on BetAdvisor.ng comes from the same method, and this page lays it out so you can check it. You will find the six areas we score and their weights, the scale we use inside each area, a worked example using a real score from our operator records, how we verify a licence, what we cannot check and how often we update. Scores are built from public information: the operator's own terms, payment and help pages, its app store listings, regulators' registers and reputable Nigerian coverage. Unless a review says otherwise, we have not deposited or withdrawn real money with the operator.
The six areas and their weights
A score out of 10 is a weighted average of six areas. The licence carries the most weight because it decides whether anyone can help you when something goes wrong. Bonus size carries little on purpose: offers change every few weeks, and their conditions matter more than the headline.
- Licence and status35%Nigerian licence, issuing body, published number, still trading in Nigeria
- Naira payments20%Methods for deposits and withdrawals, minimums, stated rules
- Sportsbook20%Football depth, live betting, cash out, booking codes
- App10%Android and iPhone availability from official sources
- Bonus terms8%Rollover, minimum odds, expiry and clarity, not the headline
- Support7%Published channels and hours
The scale inside each area
Each area gets points from 0 to 10. Three areas can be scored directly from the details an operator publishes; three need an editorial judgement from reading the site and its terms. We say which is which.
| Area | How points are given | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Licence and status | 10: Lagos licence plus another Nigerian licence or permit. 9: Lagos licence only. 8: national NLRC permit with a number we can trace (issued before 2024 and still valid in the FCT). 7: FCT or a single state board only, whose reach follows that state's law. 5: a licence that a register shows as expired. 4: licence claimed without a number we can trace. 1: offshore licence only. 0: none, or closed. | From records |
| Naira payments | 10: eight or more named methods including bank transfer and at least one of USSD or a mobile wallet. 8: six or seven methods. 6: four or five. 4: two or three. 2: one. Points come off where withdrawals are limited to fewer routes than deposits. | From records |
| App | 10: apps on both Google Play and the App Store. 6: one official app. 3: mobile site only. 1: app offered only through unofficial channels. | From records |
| Sportsbook | Depth of football markets and leagues, live betting, cash out, booking codes and streaming, judged from the site. | Editorial |
| Bonus terms | How achievable the rollover, minimum odds and expiry are, and whether the terms are clear and consistent. | Editorial |
| Support | Channels, published hours and whether contacts are easy to find on the site and in the app. | Editorial |
A worked example: Betway
Here is how a published score fits the method, using Betway, the highest-rated bookmaker in our directory. The first three rows are calculated from Betway's operator record; the last row is what the editorial areas contribute to reach the published score.
| Area (weight) | From the record | Points | Weighted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licence (35%) | Lagos licence plus NLRC permits | 10 | 3.50 |
| Payments (20%) | Nine named methods, including bank transfer, USSD and OPay | 10 | 2.00 |
| App (10%) | Google Play and App Store | 10 | 1.00 |
| Calculated part (65%) | 6.50 | ||
| Sportsbook, bonus terms, support (35%) | Editorial: deep football and live markets with streaming; free bet offer with strict accumulator rules; live chat, WhatsApp and phone | avg 7.1 | 2.50 |
| Total | 9.00 |
Read the last row as: to reach 9.0, the three editorial areas average 7.1 out of 10 for Betway. The strict accumulator rules of its welcome offer are the main reason that average is not higher.
We ran the same check on every bookmaker in our directory: for all 17 fully reviewed brands, the published score fits this method, with the editorial part averaging between 2.7 and 8.3 out of 10. If a future fact moves a calculated area, the score is revised rather than the method bent to fit.
Every review shows the calculated part as its six checks, marked Strong, Good, Limited or Unknown, so you can see where a score comes from without opening this page.
How the six checks on a review relate to the score
Every review opens with six checks marked Strong, Good, Limited or Unknown. They are a quick, readable version of the same data, not a second score.
| Check on a review | Strong | Good | Limited or Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licence | Lagos licence | FCT, state board or NLRC permit | Offshore only, or nothing we can trace |
| Payments | Six or more methods | Four or five | Three or fewer, or not confirmed |
| Apps | Android and iPhone | One official app | Not confirmed |
| Games | Casino, Aviator and virtuals | Some of them | Sports only on record |
| Entry deposit | N100 or less | Up to N500 | Higher, or not confirmed |
| Welcome offer | - | An offer on record | None on record |
Games and entry deposit are shown because readers ask about them, but they feed the score only indirectly, through the sportsbook and payments areas.
Where our information comes from
- The operator's own pages: terms and conditions, bonus rules, cashier and help pages, responsible gambling tools and the licence details in the footer.
- Regulators: the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority list of licensed operators, and FCT or state lists where an operator names them.
- App stores: Google Play and App Store listings, including the publisher name, which helps tell a real app from a copy.
- Reputable coverage: established Nigerian sports and betting media, used to cross-check offers and spot changes. When sources disagree, the review says so instead of picking the most flattering figure.
What a score means
| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 8.5 and above | Among the best options in Nigeria: clear licence, wide naira payments, apps on both stores, deep markets. |
| 7.5 to 8.4 | Strong choice with one or two trade-offs, usually bonus terms, market depth or support hours. |
| 6.0 to 7.4 | Usable, with clear gaps: fewer payment routes, a thinner app or inconsistently described offers. |
| Below 6.0 | Not recommended as a main account: missing licence details, limited payments or too little published. |
A brand that has closed or no longer serves Nigeria is not scored at all; its review stays online with a clear notice. A brand with only an offshore licence is never placed in our top tables, whatever its other points.
How we verify a licence
Since the Supreme Court ruling of November 2024, betting in Nigeria is licensed by the states, with the FCT Lottery Regulatory Office for Abuja. The Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority regulates the largest market and publishes a list of licensed operators, so it is our first check.
- Read the footer and termsWe note the licence or permit number and the company name the operator prints.
- Match the registerWe look for the same company and brand on the LSLGA list of licensed operators, and on FCT or state lists where the operator names them.
- Check that it is currentWhere a register shows dates or a status, we check them. An entry reported as expired is recorded as such in the review.
- Record what we foundThe licence text goes into our operator record, which feeds the facts box and the licence label in every table.
If we cannot trace a licence number, the review says so and the licence area scores lower. You can repeat the same check yourself in two minutes before any deposit.
What we cannot check
Without a funded account
How long a particular withdrawal takes, how support handles a real dispute, and whether a bonus is credited as described. Where we mention payout speed, it is the operator's stated policy or a widely reported pattern, and we say so.
From the outside
Odds margins across every match, the exact rollover multiple of offers that change often, and anything an operator does not publish. Reader reports through the contact page help us spot what we cannot see.
How often we update
There is no fixed daily schedule. We re-check an operator when we update its review, when a reader reports a change, when a brand is considered for our top tables and when news about its licence or trading status appears. Operator details live in one central record, so a corrected figure updates every table and facts box on the site at once, and each page shows the date it was last updated. Scores are revised when the facts behind them change, not to move brands up or down a list.
Who does this work. Pages are researched, written and checked by our team and published under the shared editorial pen name Seyi Adewale, as explained on the editorial team page. How the site earns money is on our affiliate disclosure.
See the method in action on our betting site reviews and the best betting sites ranking. Betting is for adults 18+ only.
Frequently asked questions
What counts most in your score?
The licence and trading status, at 35% of the score. Naira payments and the sportsbook follow at 20% each, then the app at 10%, bonus terms at 8% and support at 7%.
Do bigger bonuses get a higher score?
No. Bonus terms carry 8% of the score and are judged on how achievable and clear they are, not on the headline amount.
Do you test deposits and withdrawals?
Unless a review says otherwise, no. Scores come from what operators publish, regulators' records and Nigerian coverage, and we list what we could not check.
How do you check a licence?
We read the licence number and company in the footer and terms, look for the same entry on the LSLGA list of licensed operators and on FCT or state lists the operator names, check that it is current and record the result.
Can an operator pay for a better score?
No. Commission is not an input to the method, and tables are ordered by score.
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