In partnership with Next.io, TESTA investigated payment systems and user experience issues across three leading Nigerian online casinos: BC.Game, BitStarz, and TrustDice.
Traditional mobile wallets have revolutionized financial transactions for unbanked Africans, but now crypto wallets are quickly gaining popularity as well—especially in Nigeria.
One report from Chainalysis in September noted India and Nigeria leading the world in crypto adoption, and another report from December by ConsenSys showed that Nigeria now leads the world in crypto wallet ownership.
Young, tech-savvy Nigerians are embracing crypto for everyday payments and increasingly for iGaming. But are operators prepared for this shift?
Through its network of local testers and devices, TESTA examined key challenges in this growing market—including local payment options, on-ramp services, government regulations, and their impact on user experience. The study used two device setups: an iPhone with a crypto wallet and Tecno Camon 20 without a crypto wallet.
How does the actual user experience in Nigeria measure up? What obstacles do players face when navigating this market with and without a crypto wallet?
While BC.Game performed best overall—despite recent licensing issues—crowdsourced testing in Nigeria revealed that adaptability in payment systems and mobile usability are critical for operators to effectively capture and retain the rapidly growing base of tech-savvy, crypto-oriented players.
Background: crypto and iGaming growth in Nigeria
In Nigeria, the rapid adoption of cryptocurrencies is transforming the iGaming sector, especially among the country’s young, mobile-first population. 52% of users are aged 18-30 (Statista) and a shocking 84% of Nigerians report owning a crypto wallet in 2024 (ConsenSys).
However, testers encountered multiple challenges on iGaming sites that offered crypto options. Complex wallet setups, transaction delays, currency variation and stringent crypto regulations disrupted payment processes and limited market potential.
With Nigeria projected to significantly increase its number of crypto users and mobile gaming revenue in the coming years, the need for optimized onboarding and payment systems is becoming even more critical.
Nigerian payment options by brand
Testers starting out on BC.Game, BitStarz, and TrustDice encountered difficulties on all three operators. Varying on-ramping challenges were one source of friction, as were deposit minimums that local testers found high.
With the high minimums and on-ramp service failures, the challenges were significant and the opportunities are there for operators who can fill the gaps.
Testing and devices overview
The TESTA Qrowd community in Nigeria was activated to explore payment systems UX. All testing was recorded and sent to TESTA for evaluation. Testers were required to have at least one of two different (yet very common) devices in Nigeria so that TESTA could assess real player experiences.
● Tecno Camon 20 without a crypto wallet
● iPhone with a crypto wallet installed and fully configured
Key insights from Nigeria's crypto and iGaming UX testing
Payment system challenges
The analysis highlighted several critical issues in payment systems, combining challenges with on-ramp services, currency availability, and minimum deposit requirements. Only TrustDice offered on-ramp services, which were hampered by high minimum deposits and local regulatory constraints that limited their functionality.
Both BitStarz and TrustDice required high minimum deposits, making them less accessible for average local players, while currency options were inconsistently available across platforms. BC.Game, despite its challenges, managed to provide more options for crypto transactions, reflecting a somewhat smoother payment integration compared to its competitors.
Mobile user experience
All platforms provided mobile-friendly interfaces, though none offered dedicated mobile apps, potentially hindering frequent users. Despite this, the mobile experiences on BC.Game and BitStarz were noted for their faster load times compared to TrustDice, suggesting that while the mobile interfaces are adequate, there’s still room for enhancement to cater to the needs of regular mobile gamers.
Implications
These findings underscore the urgent need for iGaming operators in Nigeria to enhance their payment systems and refine their user experience strategies. By improving the accessibility and efficiency of on-ramp services, reducing deposit minimums, and ensuring clear, user-friendly mobile experiences, operators can better serve the burgeoning market of Nigerian digital consumers. These adjustments are crucial for maintaining competitiveness in Nigeria.
Detailed summary of test data
This section sums up the raw test data, including load times for both deposits and general usability for players without a crypto wallet on their phones (Tecno) and with one (iPhone). It also summarizes the testers’ subjective ratings of the experiences.
Tester UX feedback on Tecno without a crypto wallet
Testers used the Tecno Camon 20 with Android 14—without a crypto wallet—to test the 3 operators’ overall UX.
First impressions for iGaming UX are all about the customer journey at the beginning of the experience—and download times for the landing and deposit pages set the tone. So testers measured both pages for each operator.
It turned out that TrustDice had the fastest average time, due largely to its extremely fast-loading deposit page; BitStarz meanwhile, followed closely at just 0.5 seconds behind, with both their landing and deposit pages loading in about the same time. BC.Game’s download times were much slower.
However, the download times don’t tell the whole story. As discussed above, payment system challenges were numerous and the player experiences varied widely from operator to operator.
BC.Game
BC. Game supported local currency (Naira), and featured a third-party on-ramp service (MoonPay), but it was actually unavailable in Nigeria. Testers were able to deposit fiat however—and play—which in the end trumped the longer waits on the landing and deposit pages. Testers rated the BC. Game experience as the best of the three operators. The availability of the local currency helped.
BitStarz
BitStarz lacked on-ramp services entirely, so the testers with the Tecno phone were unable to play with cryptocurrency. Also, BitStarz imposed high fiat deposit minimums (USD 20), which according to local testers made it less accessible for the average local player.
TrustDice
TrustDice offered an on-ramp service, but it was practically unusable due to a high minimum deposit requirement (USD 30) and stringent local regulations that prevent buying crypto with credit cards.
iPhone user experience with a crypto wallet
All three operators were also tested using an iPhone with a crypto wallet previously installed and fully configured. This setup ensured that the testing accurately reflected the actual user experience for crypto-savvy individuals.
The focus was on assessing the landing page load times and the efficiency of crypto deposit confirmations to evaluate how seamlessly each operator integrates and supports cryptocurrency transaction processes.
BC.Game
On the iPhone, BC.Game provided a seamless experience with landing page load times at 10 seconds and crypto deposit transaction confirmations within 33 seconds.
BitStarz
BitStarz showed faster initial access with a 6-second landing page load time. However, crypto deposit confirmation took significantly longer at 1 minute 38 seconds.
TrustDice
TrustDice matched BC.Game in landing page load time at 10 seconds but lagged significantly behind in crypto deposit transaction confirmation, taking 2 minutes 53 seconds.
Testers' ratings for payment UX
TESTA asked Nigerian testers to rate their payment UX from 1 to 10, covering both fiat and crypto transactions. These subjective ratings are part of the QA process, aiming to show the practical user experience on the ground.
Fiat
For testers using the Tecno phone (without crypto wallets), BC.Game emerged as the standout for its better usability and relative ease for making fiat deposits. Although, like the other operators, it faced significant challenges with its fiat-to-crypto on-ramp service which resulted in 1/10 ratings across the board.
The consistent low scoring on the on-ramping question was due to regulatory challenges and/or technical limitations within Nigeria, making it difficult for operators to deliver and pointing to critical areas for improvement.
Crypto
Among testers iPhone testers with crypto wallets, BC.Game also scored highest, mostly reflecting its robust integration of crypto functionalities—for which it scored a 9/10.
Testers were also asked to rate their experience for deposits with fiat—and then provide an overall rating for the speed, simplicity and reliability of all their customer journeys for each operator.
Ratings-wise, BC.Game outperformed competitors in both fiat and crypto transactions, while BitStarz and TrustDice showed weaknesses in crypto processing speed and interface design.
10 recommendations for improving payment UX in Nigeria
Here are ten strategic recommendations, offered not only to tackle the current challenges uncovered by our study but also to capitalize on the emerging opportunities in Nigeria.
- Improve on-ramp services: Provide accessible fiat-to-crypto conversion solutions for new users.
- Speed up processing: Ensure quick transaction confirmations to build user trust.
- Clear updates: Implement real-time transaction notifications.
- Local payments: Integrate Nigerian payment methods like mobile money.
- Lower minimums: Reduce deposit thresholds for broader accessibility.
- Simplifying wallet usability: Create user-friendly interfaces with clear layouts and simple language. Provide real-time updates to maintain transparency and trust.
- Device compatibility: Ensure consistent performance across popular devices through real-device testing.
- Local payment partnerships: Partner with local providers for seamless fiat-to-crypto transactions and regulatory compliance.
- Regulatory compliance: Align with Nigerian regulations through transparent, traceable transactions.
- Continuous testing: Maintain regular UX testing to optimize for local needs and emerging trends.
Conclusion
TESTA’s analysis of user experiences across Tecno and iPhone devices, with and without crypto wallets, reveals significant discrepancies in user satisfaction related to both fiat and crypto transactions.
The data highlights BC.Game as a consistent performer, particularly for its user-friendly interface and above average crypto transaction capabilities, contrasting with BitStarz and TrustDice, which demonstrated room for improvement in both transaction speed and notification systems.
These findings underscore the need for operators to refine payment interfaces and transaction processes to better accommodate the needs of Nigerian users. TESTA’s role in pinpointing these disparities aims to help operators enhance their service offerings and align more closely with the regulatory and technical realities of the Nigerian market.
By focusing on these key user feedback areas, operators can improve their iGaming payments UX and in doing so improve player acquisition and retention.
About the author
Ian McKinnon
TESTA Head of Marketing