Africa
East Africa’s iGaming Industry A Prime Opportunity For Growth And Expansion
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.
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iGaming distributor to extend global presence with latest regulated market push
3 Oaks Gaming, an established distributor of iGaming content, is set to go live in the South African iGaming market through a partnership with leading operator, Supabets.
With this collaboration, 3 Oaks Gaming’s diverse portfolio of games will be accessible to players on Supabets’ online platform. Users will soon be able to enjoy a plethora of top-performing titles from the iGaming distributor, including Sun of Egypt 3: Hold and Win, Green Chili: Hold and Win, and Aztec Fire: Hold and Win.
Founded in 2008, Supabets has established itself as one of the premium brands in the region, providing its customers with a comprehensive range of sports betting markets and wide selection of casino games.
This latest news is set to reinforce 3 Oaks Gaming’s strategic vision for global expansion. Venturing into the African continent for the first time significantly broadens the supplier’s audience reach, signalling a new era of commercial growth.
Sebastian Damian, Managing Director of 3 Oaks Gaming, said: “This marks a pivotal moment for our company as we prepare for our content to seamlessly integrate with Supabets, enriching the gaming experience for South African players.
“We are confident that our games will leave a lasting impression, and we eagerly anticipate the journey ahead with our esteemed partner.”
Bavu Mpama, Head of Product at Supabets, said: “3 Oaks Gaming offers an extensive collection of slots that we believe will captivate and entertain our users. This collaboration is part of our commitment to continuously enhance our casino offering for our players.
“We’re poised to redefine the iGaming landscape in South Africa, setting new benchmarks for excellence in the industry.”
The post 3 Oaks Gaming to enter South Africa with Supabets appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Kiron Interactive, a leading provider of virtual sports and numbers games, has announced the expansion of its partnership with Hulu Sport, a tier-one operator in Ethiopia, with the launch of its innovative Mobile Lite Football Leagues product.
The new offering, known as the Hulu League, is an extension of Kiron’s existing partnership with Hulu Sport, which already includes the integration of Kiron’s products in the operator’s retail and online channels via its omnichannel Betman platform.
Mobile Lite Football Leagues is a tailored version of Kiron’s popular virtual football product, designed specifically for mobile devices in markets with limited bandwidth. The game offers an immersive and engaging virtual football experience, complete with a wide range of betting markets while requiring a fraction of the regular data consumption.
The Hulu League launch will significantly boost Hulu Sport’s mobile offering, providing its players with a unique, entertaining and data-light virtual football betting experience that Kiron Interactive is renowned for in the industry.
Steven Spartinos, Kiron Co-CEO, said: “We are honoured to extend our partnership with Hulu Sport, one of Ethiopia’s leading operators. The launch of the Hulu League demonstrates our commitment to delivering innovative and tailored products that meet the specific needs of our partners and their players.
“We look forward to working closely with the Hulu Sport team to ensure the success of this new bespoke offering and to exploring further opportunities to enhance their product portfolio with our cutting-edge virtual sports content.”
Kibrom Gebremeskel, Deputy General Manager at Hulegeb Online Solution, said: “We are excited to expand our partnership with Kiron Interactive and bring the engaging Hulu League virtual football product to more players in Ethiopia. This innovative offering perfectly complements our existing sports betting portfolio and provides our customers with a unique and immersive gaming experience.
“Kiron’s Mobile Lite Football Leagues product has been tailored to meet the specific needs of our market, and we are confident that it will be a major hit with our players. We look forward to working closely with the Kiron team to maximise the potential of this new content and to further strengthen our position as a leading operator in the Ethiopian market.”
The post Kiron Interactive strengthens Ethiopian performance with Hulu Sport deal appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Hub88 has partnered with live casino supplier LiveGames, further strengthening its product offering by adding a unique range of content to its platform.
LiveGames provides fully customisable online live dealer games and branded tables including the first vertical roulette table in the sector, along with crash games and the widely played Tombola.
The supplier delivers experiences with a player-focused design, easy to use mobile interface, and high-resolution broadcasts.
The partnership will support LiveGames’ goal to further expand in international markets, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America where Hub88 has a strong presence.
The deal showcases Hub88’s commitment to grow its ecosystem of partners, offering a diverse portfolio of products and content.
Ollie Castleman, Head of Hub88, said: “We’re thrilled to unveil this strategic partnership with LiveGames which sees us add a great provider to our platform, one that utilises modern technology to offer bespoke and personalised gaming experiences to players.
“We are looking forward to collaborating and strengthening our content library with their diverse games.”
The LiveGames Team said: “Our journey started in a small studio and as a team, we are excited about now expanding to every corner of the world together with Hub88 and their extensive operator network.
“We are committed to promoting innovation in the industry and this partnership will support us on that mission.”
The post Hub88 partners with LiveGames to enhance content offering appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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