Bet9ja Founder Kunle Soname's Billion-Dollar Journey

Kunle Soname: The Man Who Built Bet9ja From Scratch














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Few people can name the man behind the green-and-white Bet9ja logo, but Kunle Soname's story from public service to billion-dollar bookmaker is one to know.






Bet9ja is Nigeria's best-known sports betting platform, but the person behind it seldom makes headlines. Kunle Soname, co-founder and chairman of Bet9ja, grew the company from a small offline outlet in Ogun State into a multi-billion-naira company.




Soname's background was far from a single track. He earned degrees in Estate Management, Political Science, and later completed an MBA prior to moving into local politics. Soname served as Executive Chairman of Ikosi-Isheri Local Council between 2003 and 2011, earning him firsthand knowledge in managing large organisations that turned out to be useful in business.




Soname's differentiator went beyond the platform. He used his political background to tap into the general public. Bet9ja grew quickly by combining on-the-ground presence with online access, a strategy that few other bookmakers managed to replicate in those early years.




Today, Bet9ja generates yearly revenue of around $750 million, making it the continent's largest sports betting platform. Soname's estimated net worth is put at more than $100 million, with certain sources placing the figure as high as $500 million, even if the higher end is tough to verify given his choice to keep finances undisclosed. For punters in Nigeria, that growth is relevant because it explains the depth of resources that keeps flowing into the product.




Soname's ambitions go well past Bet9ja. By 2025, Remo Stars was confirmed as Nigeria's NPFL title-winners, marking the first time privately-owned club to win the league. In aviation, ValueJet launched domestic operations in 2022 and has rapidly grown to more routes. The range of his portfolio shows a clear approach to building assets that serve the Nigerian consumer.




Bet9ja By the Numbers

The platform records more than $750 million in yearly revenue, ranking it online betting platform by income. [BusinessDay]
The Nigerian online gambling market is expected to exceed $3.63 billion by the end of 2025, making it the fastest-growing gambling markets in Africa. [Grokipedia / SportRadar data]
The company runs more than 5,000 licensed agents spread across Nigeria, providing employment to an estimated 10,000+ of workers. [Nairametrics]
In 2019, Bet9ja spent over N1 billion to secure its place as headline sponsor of BBNaija, one of the highest-rated television events in West Africa. [BusinessDay]
Nigeria's over 220 million residents includes a significant and growing youth demographic, producing a globally competitive largest addressable target markets for sports betting. [BusinessDay]
Bet9ja was ranked as the second most visited site in Nigeria according to Google in 2019, above most local media and entertainment platforms. [Nairametrics]





Interesting Facts About Bet9ja

You may not know that Bet9ja was co-founded by Ayo Ojuroye, the executive currently holds the role of chief executive officer, while Soname holds the position of chairman?
Bet9ja launched as an agent-based operation in Ogun State, and only later going digital and nationally.
Soname's football club, the club that Soname founded in 2004 as the name FC Dender, relocated from Lagos to Soname's home state to reflect the founder's pride in his roots.
The YOHAIG bonus code gives newly registered members a sign-up bonus on the first deposit, so it is a highly competitive welcome deals on the market today.
Soname became the first Nigerian national to own a European football club when he bought a 70% share of CD Feirense in 2015 through his company Tavistock Global Resource Limited.
Bet9ja partnered with data supplier Sportradar and NetEnt to enhance both the quality of its odds and the breadth of its gaming content.
The Bet9ja chairman has also established BLFA, a community talent development programme designed to invest in emerging football talent as a social intervention.





Whether you are a long-time Bet9ja user or are just now hearing about Bet9ja for the first time, understanding the vision behind the platform gives meaning to why the company has grown the dominant force it is in Nigeria. New users can use the YOHAIG promo code to claim a sign-up bonus — check out a current Bet9ja promotion code page to see the current offer.




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)