Connect with us

Africa

East Africa’s iGaming Industry A Prime Opportunity For Growth And Expansion

Published

on

Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

East Africa is one of the regions in Africa that is garnering the most attraction when it comes to the betting and gambling industry. We meet Alessandro Pizzolotto, STM Gaming’s CEO and Certified Partner of BtoBet in Africa what he thinks about the subject and how the region could further evolve in the short to medium term.

Is it your opinion that sports betting is more rampant in Eastern Africa? Why?

There is no doubt that the popularity of sports betting in the whole of Africa derives from the huge popularity of sports across the entire continent. The popularity of sports, especially football, has been further highlighted in recent years with the huge success of African players in major European leagues. One could make reference to Napoli’s strong Senegalese centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, Arsenal’s Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, amongst many others.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Nonetheless with numbers at hand, a report published by Dublin based research firm “Research and Report” clearly indicates that the iGaming industry in the Sub-Saharan region is seeing an increase in the number of millenials who make use of mobile phones to place bets. The report states that the eastern region in Africa, with Kenya and Uganda as the primary examples, is at the forefront of the continent’s gambling market.

How did weak laws and regulations offer the perfect environment for the growth of gambling in Eastern Africa?

I wouldn’t state that East African markets are afflicted by weak regulations. The M-Pesa and SMS payments conundrum that resulted in Kenya last year was in effect a demonstration that local regulations do work, and in blocking these vital payment systems to the country’s largest operators the Kenyan government was effectively cutting the operators from millions of customers.

Whilst one can argue to great length regarding the escalating enforcement measures that were introduced by the government, this does not in itself demonstrate a weak regulatory framework that would benefit black or grey markets.

Does East Africa have more nations that participate in sports betting than any other African region? 

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

To understand why the iGaming industry has registered stronger growth in Eastern Africa than in other regions one has to understand the payment gateways and services available, which are fundamental to the industry. East Africa is undoubtedly at the forefront of the entire continent when it comes to payment gateways, especially mobile money. It is a known fact that from a financial inclusion perspective Africa is still lagging behind more established markets, such as Europe.

Yet when it comes to East Africa, the region – with countries such as Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda – is a global leader in regards to the highest per capita registered and active mobile money accounts, and volume of mobile money. The region has the fastest growth in mobile money accounts and in each country the number of mobile money accounts surpassed the number of bank accounts.

The phenomenon of mobile money has been ongoing in the East African region since 2007. The roots of mobile money lie in Kenya with the launch of M-Pesa by Vodacom . With the lack of financial infrastructure in the region and the cost of mobile phones dropping rapidly in that same period, mobile money spread quickly through the rest of East Africa.

If one were to compare two leading markets in Africa – Kenya from the East African region and Nigeria from its Western counterpart – one would find huge discrepancies from this perspective. Whilst in Kenya 56% of the population aged over 15 years have an account with a financial institution, on the other hand 73% report having a mobile money account. At the same time the situation cannot be more different in Nigeria, with 39% of the population having an account with a financial institution and only 5.6% having a mobile money account. This obviously has a very strong impact on the iGaming industry.

Nonetheless this situation is set to change in the short to medium term, especially with the continuous expansion of companies such as MTN Africa and Airtel Africa across the whole continent. Such an expansion will pave the way for a true pan-African payment gateway facilitating money transfers, deposits and withdrawals when it comes to the regional iGaming industry.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Powered by WPeMatico

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Africa

Play’n GO announces landmark South African partnership with Hollywoodbets

Published

on

play’n-go-announces-landmark-south-african-partnership-with-hollywoodbets
Reading Time: < 1 minute

 

Play’n GO, the world’s leading casino entertainment provider, has today announced a new operator partnership in South Africa with Hollywoodbets.

The legendary games studio went live in South Africa in 2024, and this newly announced partnership will see classic Play’n GO titles such as Fire Joker, Rise of Olympus 100 and Boat Bonanza now available to Hollywoodbets players in South Africa.

Play’n GO enjoyed a landmark year in 2024, expanding its reach globally, and recently announced the launch of two brand new slots mechanics, Blitzways™ and Crashback™.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Stuart Trigwell, Director of Business Development at Play’n GO, commented “South Africa is a market of increasing significance in iGaming globally, and we’re very pleased to have gained such a strong foothold in the country with this partnership.

“The Hollywoodbets brand is synonymous with iGaming in South Africa, and this partnership reflects the commitment of both Play’n GO and Hollywoodbets to deliver the best casino gaming experience possible to players in the region. We’re excited for the opportunities that will come from this partnership, and we look forward to many years of success together.”

Wayde Dorkin, Head of Product at Hollywoodbets added “We’re looking forward to welcoming Play’n GO’s legendary games portfolio to our platform, and we know our players are just as excited as we are. We’re committed to being the number one operator in South Africa, and partnering with Play’n GO is a significant step forward on that journey.”

The post Play’n GO announces landmark South African partnership with Hollywoodbets appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)
Continue Reading

Africa

Springbok Casino is Offering 25 Free Spins in Honour of South Africa’s Top 5 Wild Egg Hunters

Published

on

springbok-casino-is-offering-25-free-spins-in-honour-of-south-africa’s-top-5-wild-egg-hunters
Reading Time: < 1 minute

 

Enjoy 25 Free Spins on Charms of the Forest slot from April 1-30

SpringbokCasino.co.za, South Africa’s leading online casino, is ringing in April with an exciting feature: the Egg-citing Safari — where South Africa’s five iconic animals embark on the ultimate Wilderness Easter Egg Hunt.  To join in on the fun, all players will receive 25 Free Spins on the Charms of the Forest slot.

In this adventure-filled experience, Springbok Casino introduces players to five extraordinary egg hunters: the lightning-fast cheetah, the agile springbok, the watchful meerkat, the clever baboon, and the towering ostrich. Each of these remarkable animals uses their unique abilities to track down hidden Easter eggs in the wild and teach us life lessons: 

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

EGG-CITING SAFARI: SOUTH AFRICA’S TOP 5 WILD EGG HUNTERS

  • The cheetah teaches us that acting quickly and decisively can help us overcome obstacles.
  • The springbok shows us that agility and focus are keys to success.
  • The meerkat teaches us the value of staying alert and working together.
  • The baboon teaches us to be clever, resourceful, and to embrace our curiosity.
  • The ostrich teaches us that a unique perspective and steady effort can help us achieve great things.

APRIL FREE SPINS

Valid April 1-30, 2025

25 Free Spins for Charms of the Forest

Coupon Code:  EGGSAFARI

Charms of the Forest invites players into a magical adventure with a 5×3 reel layout, 25 paylines, and an enchanting fantasy theme. Enjoy exciting features like Hold & Spin jackpots, a Free Games bonus, and the opportunity to win up to 50,000x your bet per line.

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Springbok Casino provides customer service in English and Afrikaans, offering hundreds of slots and table games from SpinLogic, all played in Rands. Games are playable on mobile devices or instant play.

The post Springbok Casino is Offering 25 Free Spins in Honour of South Africa’s Top 5 Wild Egg Hunters appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Africa

EGT Digital continues to hit milestones in Africa

Published

on

egt-digital-continues-to-hit-milestones-in-africa
Reading Time: < 1 minute

 

EGT Digital keeps on expanding its presence on the African continent. Recently, the popular operator Bangbet has begun using the provider’s Gaming Aggregator, significantly enriching the choice of visitors to its Kenyan betting site. Now players can enjoy EGT Digital’s extensive gaming portfolio, including over 120 casino titles, the crash game xRide, as well as the jackpot top-performers Bell Link, High Cash, Clover Chance, and Single Progressive Jackpot.

“It is a great pleasure for us to start our collaboration with Bangbet, one of the most prominent operators in Africa,” shared Zsuzsanna Zeibig, Sales manager for Africa at EGT Digital. “I am also very happy with the excellent performance of our games, which have very quickly established themselves as their customers’ favorites. I believe that this fruitful cooperation will further increase the operator’s popularity, while paving our way to other key players in the region.”

David Kabue, Director of Bangbet, also gave high evaluation to the partnership: “EGT Digital’s gaming content has brought enormous diversity to our slot offerings in terms of themes, high winning chances, and attractive bonuses. Bell Link has stood out as a particularly engaging product, with the other jackpot solutions also demonstrating impressive results. That is why we have decided to integrate the Bulgarian provider’s games into our betting sites in the other markets where we operate – Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda – in the coming months.”

Advertisement
European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

The post EGT Digital continues to hit milestones in Africa appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Trending

Get it on Google Play

Fresh slot games releases by the top brands of the industry. We provide you with the latest news straight from the entertainment industries.

The platform also hosts industry-relevant webinars, and provides detailed reports, making it a one-stop resource for anyone seeking information about operators, suppliers, regulators, and professional services in the European gaming market. The portal's primary goal is to keep its extensive reader base updated on the latest happenings, trends, and developments within the gaming and gambling sector, with an emphasis on the European market while also covering pertinent global news. It's an indispensable resource for gaming professionals, operators, and enthusiasts alike.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 - Recent Slot Releases is part of HIPTHER Agency. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania