How Kunle Soname Turned Bet9ja Into Nigeria's Top Brand
How Bet9ja's Kunle Soname Built a Billion-Dollar Empire
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "NewsArticle",
"headline": "How Bet9ja's Kunle Soname Left Politics to Bet on a Billion-Dollar Industry",
"description": "Kunle Soname left a political career to found Bet9ja, and built Nigeria's biggest sports betting platform with over $750 million in annual turnover.",
"datePublished": "2025-03-04T08:00:00Z",
"dateModified": "2025-03-04T08:00:00Z",
"author":
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Bet9ja News",
"url": "https://www.bet9japromotioncode.com.ng/"
,
"publisher":
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Bet9ja News",
"logo":
"@type": "ImageObject",
"url": "https://www.bet9japromotioncode.com.ng/logo.png"
,
"keywords": "Bet9ja promo code, YOHAIG, Bet9ja promotion code, Nigerian sports betting, Bet9ja bonus",
"articleSection": "Sports Betting",
"inLanguage": "en-NG",
"about":
"@type": "Thing",
"name": "Bet9ja",
"description": "Nigeria's leading online sports betting platform"
* margin: 0; padding: 0; box-sizing: border-box;
body font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, sans-serif; line-height: 1.7; color: #2d2d2d; background: #f4f4f4;
.container max-width: 820px; margin: 0 auto; background: #fff; padding: 40px; box-shadow: 0 2px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);
h1 font-size: 28px; line-height: 1.3; color: #111; margin-bottom: 12px;
.subheading font-size: 17px; color: #555; margin-bottom: 28px; line-height: 1.6; font-weight: 400; border-left: 4px solid #1a7a3c; padding-left: 14px;
article p font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 18px;
article h2 font-size: 21px; margin: 32px 0 14px; color: #111; border-top: 2px solid #1a7a3c; padding-top: 16px;
.stats-section background: #f0faf4; border: 1px solid #b2dfca; border-radius: 8px; padding: 24px; margin: 32px 0;
.stats-section h2 border-top: none; padding-top: 0; margin-top: 0; color: #145a2e;
.stats-section ul margin-left: 20px;
.stats-section li margin-bottom: 12px; font-size: 15px; color: #333;
.did-you-know background: #fff8e1; border: 1px solid #ffc107; border-radius: 8px; padding: 24px; margin: 32px 0;
.did-you-know h2 color: #7a5800; border-top: none; padding-top: 0; margin-top: 0;
.did-you-know ol margin-left: 20px;
.did-you-know li margin-bottom: 11px; font-size: 15px;
.sources margin-top: 32px; padding-top: 20px; border-top: 1px solid #ddd; font-size: 14px; color: #666;
.sources h2 font-size: 16px; color: #444; border: none; padding: 0; margin-bottom: 10px;
.sources ul margin-left: 18px;
.sources li margin-bottom: 6px;
a color: #1a7a3c; text-decoration: none;
a:hover text-decoration: underline;
strong color: #111;
@media (max-width: 600px) .container padding: 20px; h1 font-size: 22px;
Kunle Soname left a promising political career to build Bet9ja, and the gamble paid off in a big way — his platform now tops Nigeria's sports betting market.
Bet9ja has become the country's most recognised sports betting brand, but the man behind it almost never makes headlines. Kunle Soname, chairman and co-founder of Bet9ja, built the company from a modest offline operation in Ogun State into a nationally dominant company.
Soname's academic path was anything but a simple route. He studied Estate Management, Political Science, and eventually finished an MBA prior to getting into local public office. Soname served as Executive Chairman of Ikosi-Isheri Local Council between 2003 and 2011, giving him real-world exposure in managing large organisations that turned out to be valuable in business.
After Soname launched Bet9ja in September 2013, he took a calculated decision to start offline rather than go purely online. He recruited agents across Ogun State and setting up offline outlets for community bettors, he grew a dedicated user base ahead of expanding nationally. The platform eventually rolled out competitive odds, virtual betting options, and an easy-to-use app to pull in new users nationwide.
Now, Bet9ja generates annual revenue of around $750 million, making it the continent's biggest sports betting platform. Soname's personal net worth is put at over $100 million, with some estimates putting it as high as $500 million, even if these numbers are difficult to verify given his choice to keep finances out of the public eye. For sports fans across Nigeria, this success story is relevant because it underpins the depth of product development that continues to go into its platform.
Soname's ambitions extend far beyond sports betting. In 2025, Remo Stars was confirmed as the NPFL title-winners, the first privately-run club to claim the championship. In aviation, ValueJet launched domestic flights in 2022 and has rapidly added its fleet and network. The breadth of his investments reflects a consistent strategy of targeting industries relevant to the Nigerian consumer.
The Numbers Behind Nigerian Sports Betting
Bet9ja reports over $750 million in revenue per year, ranking it the continent's biggest online betting operator by income. [BusinessDay]
Nigeria's sports betting sector is forecast to hit $3.63 billion by the end of 2025, making it one of the fastest-growing betting markets on the continent. [Grokipedia / SportRadar data]
Bet9ja maintains a network of 5,000 licensed agents across Nigeria, providing livelihoods to an estimated 10,000+ of workers. [Nairametrics]
In 2019, Bet9ja invested above one billion naira to take on the role of main sponsor of the Big Brother Naija reality TV show, one of the most watched TV shows in West Africa. [BusinessDay]
The country's population of people includes a large and expanding base of young consumers, creating a globally competitive sizeable target markets for sports betting. [BusinessDay]
Bet9ja was ranked as Nigeria's second most visited website according to Google at its peak, ahead of many Nigerian commercial sites. [Nairametrics]
Surprising Facts About Bet9ja
You may not know that Bet9ja was established alongside Ayo Ojuroye, who is chief executive officer, while Soname occupies the position of chairman?
The company began as an physical operation in Sagamu, Ogun State, prior to moving to the web and to other states.
Soname's football club, which Soname founded in 2004 with the name FC Dender, was moved from Lagos to Ogun State as a sign of the chairman's pride in his roots.
The YOHAIG promotion code offers first-time bettors a sign-up bonus on their opening deposit, which makes it one of the most attractive sign-up offers on the market right now.
The Bet9ja chairman became the first person from Nigeria to acquire a European football club when he bought a 70% stake in the Portuguese second-division side Feirense in 2015 via his company Tavistock Global Resource Limited.
The platform works with global data provider Sportradar and NetEnt to deepen both the of its odds and the breadth of its gaming content.
The Bet9ja chairman has also established BLFA, a youth-focused initiative for young players aimed at invest in emerging football talent as a social intervention.
Kunle Soname's rise is a clear example that knowing your audience and acting on instinct can build something extraordinary. Bettors looking to get started on Bet9ja may want to enter the YOHAIG promotion code to claim a welcome bonus at sign-up. Head to a trusted Bet9ja promotion code page for the latest bonus offer before you register.
Sources
BusinessDay Nigeria — How Bet9ja's Kunle Soname Left Politics to Bet on a Billion-Dollar Industry (accessed March 2025)
Nairametrics — Meet Bet9ja's Kunle Soname (accessed March 2025)
Billionaires Africa — 9 Companies Owned by Kunle Soname (accessed March 2025)
Legit.ng — Full List of Companies Owned by Kunle Soname (accessed March 2025)
Grokipedia — Kunle Soname (accessed March 2025)
BusinessDay Nigeria — How Kunle Soname is Redefining Nigeria's Football Club Management (accessed March 2025)
