Africa

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

Published

6 years ago

October 29, 2020

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.

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?

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.

Africa

Gaming Tech Summit Africa convenes regulators and operators in Nairobi

Published

20 hours ago

June 5, 2026

Wladimir P.

gaming-tech-summit-africa-convenes-regulators-and-operators-in-nairobi

Gaming Tech Summit Africa (GTSA) brought regulators, policymakers and gaming industry stakeholders to Nairobi on 4 June for its third edition, hosted at the Argyle Grand Hotel.

Organisers positioned the event around the theme “Building Africa’s Sustainable & Scalable Gaming Tech Industry,” with agenda focus areas including taxation, consumer protection, enforcement against illegal operators, and the role of digital payments in fast-growing online betting and gaming markets.

The press release cited market projections that Africa’s online betting and gaming sector could grow from an estimated US$12.7 billion in 2026 to US$19.4 billion by 2030, framing the sector as increasingly relevant to public revenue, investor confidence and regulatory consistency across jurisdictions.

Kenya’s hosting role was highlighted as a key context point, with organisers pointing to its status as a major gaming and digital payments market. The summit also said it was officially endorsed by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya.

“Africa’s gaming industry has reached a stage where growth must be matched by responsibility, structure and long-term thinking,” said David Moshi,Managing Director at Velex Advisory. “The value of this summit lies in bringing the right people into one room to have honest conversations about where the industry is headed and what must be done to build a stronger foundation. Our ambition goes beyond hosting a successful summit; it is to support a more connected, transparent and sustainable gaming ecosystem across Africa.”

Companies named as participants included Afitech, 1xBet, BetConstruct, SharpVision, Aviator, BMM Testlabs and Evidentia AI, among others.

The post Gaming Tech Summit Africa convenes regulators and operators in Nairobi appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Africa

Gaming Realms expands into three African markets via SportyBet partnership

Published

4 days ago

June 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

gaming-realms-expands-into-three-african-markets-via-sportybet-partnership

Gaming Realms, the originator of the distinctive Slingo format, has expanded its presence in Africa by partnering with SportyBet in Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana, only weeks following its market launch in South Africa.

Players in the area of the top operator can now explore a wide range of Slingo games, featuring popular titles like Slingo Sweet Bonanza, Slingo Day of the Dab, and Slingo Xxxtreme. The legendary product has demonstrated widespread attraction worldwide, delivering a distinct experience that fuses the thrill of slots with tactical elements.

The operator belongs to Sporty Group, a global media and entertainment firm that possesses licenses to provide betting and online casino offerings in various regulated African areas.

Entering the three newly regulated markets marks a significant accomplishment for Gaming Realms, with Africa being a crucial growth region for the provider that has quickly expanded its footprint in Europe and North America in the past year. The newest expansion comes after a recent market launch in South Africa, with the company planning to grow further in the African region soon.

Laura Norton, Account Manager at Gaming Realms, said: “Entering three new African markets at once together with SportyBet is a fantastic achievement for the Gaming Realms team.

“We are encouraged by the initial performance and are confident our unique content is appealing to SportyBet’s local customers and look forward to a successful partnership.”

Joey Hurtado, Director of Casino at SportyBet, said: “Being the first operator to introduce Gaming Realms’ content in three of our core African markets is a real coup.

“Their product offering provides something truly different and this collaboration helps us deliver on our promise to offer our customers a best-in-class entertainment experience.”

The post Gaming Realms expands into three African markets via SportyBet partnership appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Africa

Greentube partners with World Sports Betting to expand in South Africa

Published

4 days ago

June 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

greentube-partners-with-world-sports-betting-to-expand-in-south-africa

Deal follows Greentube’s spring 2025 market entry and brings Book of Ra and other slots to the operator’s casino lobby.

Greentube has signed a content partnership with South African operator World Sports Betting, extending its distribution in the country following its market entry in spring 2025.

Under the agreement, World Sports Betting will roll out a selection of Greentube titles, mixing new releases with established land-based games. Initial launches include Queen Cleopatra and 25 Red Hot 7 Clover Link.

The wider lineup named in the announcement includes Book of Ra, Lucky Lady’s Charm and Sizzling Hot. Greentube said the content package has been tailored for South Africa.

Razvan Glodea, Sales and Key Account Manager at Greentube, said: “We’ve been working hard to bring our games live with such an important brand in the South African market, and we’re excited to make our portfolio accessible to even more players.

“With our iconic titles that players already know and love, we’re confident in gaining strong engagement alongside World Sports Betting. We’re also looking forward to delivering great results, supported by a range of exciting promotional activities planned for players very soon.”

Ryno Du Plessis at World Sports Betting, added: “Greentube’s portfolio features some of the most recognisable titles in the industry, and we’re delighted to bring these games to our players.

“This partnership allows us to further strengthen our casino offering with content that has a proven track record, while also introducing exciting new games tailored to our audience.”

The post Greentube partners with World Sports Betting to expand in South Africa appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.