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

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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.

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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? 

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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.

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GHASBO Support Responsible Gaming with GH¢235,000 Donation for Purple Month

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The Ghana Association of Sports Betting Operators (GHASBO) has announced that its members have collectively contributed GH¢235,000 (22,595 USD) to support the Gaming Commission’s “Purple Month” campaign held in May 2025.

The Purple Month campaign, themed “Promoting Mental Wellness through Responsible Gaming,” is a national initiative aimed at raising awareness about mental health challenges linked to excessive gaming, promoting responsible betting habits and reinforcing the collective responsibility of all industry stakeholders in ensuring player protection and community well-being.

GHASBO, acting on behalf of its members, made the official donation to the Gaming Commission as a show of support for the campaign and its objectives. This contribution is part of its larger effort to partner with regulators and civil society in shaping a gaming ecosystem that is ethical, sustainable and protective of vulnerable individuals.

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GHASBO said: “We are immensely grateful to all the operators who contributed to this worthy cause. Special appreciation goes to: Sportybet, Msports, Football.com, Betway, PremierBet, and Betfox for their significant contributions.

“We also recognize the meaningful contributions of the operators who donated various amounts to ensure the campaign’s success.”

This collective support from GHASBO members exemplifies the gaming industry’s readiness to champion responsible gaming and community engagement.

The post GHASBO Support Responsible Gaming with GH¢235,000 Donation for Purple Month appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Sportingtech Extends Strategic Partnership with 888Africa

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Sportingtech, the multi-award winning iGaming platform provider, has extended its partnership with 888Africa for another three years – reinforcing a relationship that has rapidly become one of the most successful in African iGaming. The extension signals a continued commitment to trust, performance, and shared expansion ambitions in one of the industry’s most dynamic regions.

Since launching together in 2022, Sportingtech and 888Africa have established an effective operating partnership, successfully delivering top-tier sports betting and casino experiences across key African markets. During this time, 888Africa has recorded customer base growth of over 800%, underlining the strength of the collaboration.

As part of the renewed agreement, 888Africa will benefit from Sportingtech’s enhanced platform, featuring an updated sportsbook and casino UI/UX designed to drive deeper engagement and deliver strong performance in competitive markets.

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Anthony Murphy, Commercial Director at Sportingtech, said: “This renewal shows the value of doing things properly – understanding local markets, building solid tech foundations, and working in true partnership. We’ve built a strong relationship with the team at 888Africa and are ready to keep pushing their growth further.”

Christopher Coyne, CEO at 888Africa, added: “Sportingtech has been a key part of our African success in Mozambique. 888 is now #1 for market share in Mozambique and without doubt the Sportingtech Platform has been a part of this result. The Platform has proven to be stable and high performing, we’ve made big strides in the partnership over the last while and I cannot speak highly enough about Tom Ustunel, Colin McDonagh and the whole team as partners.”

The post Sportingtech Extends Strategic Partnership with 888Africa appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Booming Games Partners with Bitville Gaming to Strengthen African Presence

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Booming Games, a top-tier developer of high-end slot content for the global iGaming industry, is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Bitville Gaming, a leading provider of innovative and compliant gaming solutions across South Africa and emerging markets.

This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Bitville Gaming’s ongoing mission to deliver world-class gaming content to licensed operators and regulated markets. The partnership enables Bitville Gaming to integrate Booming Games’ full portfolio of award-winning slot titles, featuring engaging themes, innovative mechanics, and premium-quality graphics into its content distribution network.

Booming Games continues to expand its global footprint, and this new partnership represents a significant step in bringing its games to emerging regulated markets. With a shared focus on integrity, entertainment, and compliance, both companies are well-positioned to offer enriched player experiences while meeting the highest standards of regulatory oversight.

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This partnership is effective immediately, and integration efforts are already underway to ensure Booming Games titles are readily accessible to licensed operators across the region.

Solomon Godwin, Head of Africa at Booming Games, said: Partnering with Bitville Gaming offers an exciting opportunity for Booming Games as we expand our reach across Africa. This collaboration allows us to deliver our premium gaming experiences to a broader audience while continuing to meet the evolving needs of our players. We’re thrilled to introduce our high-quality, immersive titles, including Buffalo Hold and Win Extreme, 64 Gold Coins Hold and Win, Gold Gold Gold 5000, and Ronaldinho Spins to players on the Bitville Gaming platform”.

Andrew von Hoesslin, CEO at Bitville Gaming, added: “The Bitville team is delighted and thrilled to announce our partnership with Booming Games. Their innovative, entertaining and cutting-edge online slot games are a perfect fit for Bitville’s platform. We can’t wait to bring this exciting gaming experience to operators in the African market. This collaboration is a testament to our commitment to delivering the best in online entertainment.”

The post Booming Games Partners with Bitville Gaming to Strengthen African Presence appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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