<b>Gambling Addiction in Nigeria: Prevalence, Regional Disparities, and Policy Implications</b>

Gambling Addiction, recognized as a behavioral addiction in both the DSM-5 and ICD-11, has emerged as a pressing public health concern in Nigeria. National surveys suggest that over one-third of adults engage in gambling, with the sports betting industry valued at more than ₦2 trillion annually and driven largely by young people. Yet, gambling prevalence is not evenly distributed across the country. This paper explores the regional variations in compulsive gambling in Nigeria, analyzing sociocultural, economic, and religious influences that shape participation patterns. Findings show that gambling is strongly stigmatized but practiced underground in the North, widely accepted as leisure in the South-West, tied to entrepreneurial risk-taking in the South-East, and both survival-driven and recreational in the South-South. These differences have distinct implications for economic strain, family stability, mental health, and crime. Despite the magnitude of the problem, Nigeria faces weak policy enforcement, poor surveillance, and inadequate treatment services. The paper recommends region-sensitive interventions, including faith-based approaches in the North, zoning and advertising restrictions in the South-West, financial literacy and peer-support in the South-East, and combined economic empowerment and addiction programs in the South-South. At the national level, a comprehensive gambling harm reduction strategy is proposed, encompassing surveillance, school-based prevention, industry regulations, and treatment infrastructure. By situating compulsive gambling within Nigeria’s diverse sociocultural and economic contexts, this study contributes to the evidence base needed for targeted prevention and effective policy responses.