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1xBet kick off ‘big plans for Africa’ with Nigerian licence acquisition

Published

6 years ago

January 6, 2020

Image by David Peterson from Pixabay

For football-focused Nigeria, the confirmation that one of the leading sports betting brands 1xBet has been granted a full National Licence in the country until 2024 is a major coup for players, operators and Nigerian sports clubs alike.

1xBet’s expansion plans across Africa have reached a fever pitch as the company prepares to bolster its position in Nigeria with a new license, new partnerships and an aim to “set new standards of betting culture” on the continent, according to the 1xBet team.

“We are well aware of Nigeria’s position as a renowned football-focused market,” they said. “In 2018 we signed a partnership agreement with the Nigeria Football Federation, the Nigeria national football team, as well as the Nigerian Premier League. In addition, we are official partners of the African Confederation of Football and the largest club tournaments of the continent. We have accumulated considerable experience while working with top football clubs such as Barcelona. Therefore, we not only offer Nigerian fans a wide range of betting options, but also a sense of involvement in the victories of their favorite teams. Football fans can be sure of 1xBet, where they always have a winning chance alongside their favorite clubs.”

As one of the leading operators now licensed in the country, 1xBet is keen to showcase how it will offer the Nigerian sports fans one of the widest lines of sports betting as well as odds on the world of cinema, music, politics and other areas of life. Commenting on how this new license will allow the brand to work more with local partners, the 1xBet team explained: “1xBet has decided to establish ourselves in Africa as we feel we have something valuable to offer the African betting market including players and affiliates. With over 1000 events offered daily across more than 60 sports, the 1xBet experience is an exciting world of betting enjoyment. We also have a great selection of online games. All this means that everyone can find viable options to make money. We want to give everyone who is legally able to place bets access to earning potential and look forward to finding interesting new partners in Nigeria with like-minded goals.”

The newly acquired National Licence by 1xBet has positioned the brand to legitimately operate in any part of the country, including in all the states and local government areas, broadening the company’s footprint across Africa. “In addition to Nigeria, on the African continent, we work in Ghana, Senegal, Uganda, DR Congo, Cameroon, Zambia, and Burundi. We have big plans for the region and consider Africa a very promising continent, where the number of fans of betting in general, and our company in particular, is constantly growing.”

Following headlines about betting on the continent in 2019, there is a renewed focus on responsible gaming across Africa, something which 1xBet is keen to drive forward with its unique position as one of the only full National Licence holders in Nigeria. “1xBet is a supporter of responsible betting,” the 1xBet team continued. “We comply with the laws of each country in which we operate. Given that our license to work in Nigeria is valid until 2024, in the next five years we want to set new standards of betting culture. We will teach fans that with 1xBet they play according to simple and understandable rules that must be observed.

“In addition to the financial regulatory body’s transaction limit in Nigeria, and our concerted efforts to drastically reduce gaming addiction, we have also implemented a spending limit on our platform to further promote responsible gaming. Also, we ensure regular 1xBet attendance at various seminars of the regulatory authorities on responsible gaming.”

1xBet will be commencing its meetings with regulators and operators from Nigeria and other African countries at ICE London 2020, where the 1xBet team will be attending a dedicated ICE Africa networking breakfast as well as exhibiting on the show floor and delivering its expansion strategy in full. “We have a strong presence in many countries spread over continents around the world, so there will be a lot to showcase at ICE London,” they said. In regards to Nigeria, we will be using our position as a National Licence holder to highlight the fact that we are a fully compliant brand in the sports betting industry.”

The 1xBet team concluded: “Our intention at ICE London 2020 is to promote 1xBet as an operator who brings their same level of established excellence to Nigeria as well as other African countries. We will also promote 1xBet’s wide range of betting options to the African market and beyond whilst sharing our vision for 2020 and what exciting upcoming events and industry related news we have to offer. The thrust of our message will be that by joining 1xBet you will always be riding the crest of a wave.”

The full 1xBet team will showcase its high odds, video streaming, in-house affiliate platform and portfolio of bonuses, live casino, branded slot games and more from Stand S3-250 at ICE London, ExCeL London, UK in February.

B2B

BetConstruct AI names Lena Yasir CEO

Published

5 hours ago

June 10, 2026

Wladimir P.

Former Pragmatic Play chief commercial officer brings 20 years of iGaming experience to the role.

BetConstruct AI has appointed Lena Yasir as its new chief executive officer, the company said.

Yasir has 20 years of iGaming experience, with a background in B2B commercial strategy, international expansion, and building teams across regulated and emerging markets.

Before joining BetConstruct AI, Yasir held senior leadership roles at Play’n GO, Evolution, and OnGame Network. Most recently, she served as chief commercial officer at Pragmatic Play, where the company said she played a central role in its global B2B growth.

In a statement, Yasir said: “BetConstruct AI is a highly respected and successful company in the global iGaming industry, and I am proud to be joining the business at such an exciting time.”

BetConstruct AI said Yasir will focus on accelerating global revenue, driving innovation, and strengthening partnerships across the iGaming ecosystem.

The post BetConstruct AI names Lena Yasir CEO appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Digital Media

Latam Intersect flags prime-time World Cup 2026 as a reset for LATAM sports marketing

Published

5 hours ago

June 10, 2026

Wladimir P.

latam-intersect-flags-prime-time-world-cup-2026-as-a-reset-for-latam-sports-marketing

Firm points to more LATAM teams, heavier digital viewing and second-screen habits as key drivers for new campaign strategies.

Sports marketing in Latin America will face a different playbook during the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to a new analysis from Latam Intersect. The firm says the expanded tournament format, combined with prime-time scheduling for the region and more digital consumption, will change how brands plan media, content and real-time engagement.

The 2026 edition will feature 48 national teams, 104 matches and three host countries. FIFA projects more than 6 billion people will follow the tournament in some way, Latam Intersect said. For Latin America, the firm highlights the added weight of having 10 regional teams qualified, alongside the region’s historical performance in the competition.

Latam Intersect argues that the LATAM fan base is now younger and more active online, with a predominant age range of 22 to 33 and strong Gen Z and millennial presence. The company cites data indicating 41% of fans already watch matches via digital platforms and 51% use social media while watching on TV, turning each match into a continuous “second-screen” engagement window.

“In 2026, the fan is already in the middle of a conversation that never stops. Brands that show up with a prepared post after the match are already too late,”, said Livia Gammardella, Head of Marketing and Digital de Latam Intersect.

The firm also breaks the audience into three archetypes—casual fan, devoted fan and “fanático”—and says brands often underperform by treating the World Cup audience as one segment. It adds that women fans and fans arriving through pop culture, memes and music are growing audiences that global campaigns frequently miss.

A major difference versus the 2018 and 2022 tournaments is match timing for the region, with most games expected to land in prime time for Latin America, the company said. “A World Cup in prime time was exactly what retail needed. People will not watch the matches alone: they will gather with family, order food, buy products. The brand that uses cultural intelligence to understand the localized rituals of its fan will build far more connection than it could expect”, said Claudia Daré, socia y cofundadora de Latam Intersect.

The company said it has published a related eBook on platform behaviors across Instagram, TikTok and X, alongside market-specific audience data and planning framework

The post Latam Intersect flags prime-time World Cup 2026 as a reset for LATAM sports marketing appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Claudia Daré partner and co-founder of Latam Intersect.

Sports marketing will change in Latin America during the 2026 World Cup

Published

5 hours ago

June 10, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

sports-marketing-will-change-in-latin-america-during-the-2026-world-cup

The biggest tournament in history arrives with an unprecedented strategic window for brands: prime-time matches, more Latin American national teams, and an audience that is radically more digital and diverse.

The 2026 World Cup is not just the most ambitious edition in the tournament’s history. For Latin America, it represents a convergence of factors never seen in any previous edition: ten national teams from the region qualified, matches will air in prime time, and an audience that experiences football in ways that would have been unimaginable a decade ago.

With 48 national teams, 104 matches, and three host countries, FIFA projects that more than 6 billion people will follow the tournament in some way. For Latin America, whose national teams have won the World Cup 10 times, the competition arrives with a particularly strong emotional weight.

An audience that no longer watches football in silence

The profile of the Latin American fan has changed profoundly. The dominant age bracket today is between 22 and 33 years old, with a strong presence of Gen Z and millennials. This segment does not just consume the sport; it comments on it in real time, amplifies opinions on social media, and lives every match with a phone in hand.

The data is striking: 41% of fans already watch matches through digital platforms, and 51% use social media simultaneously while watching on television. This turns every match into a 90-minute window of continuous engagement, an opportunity that traditional communication strategies, designed for a passive consumer, are simply not built to capture.

“In 2026, the fan is already in the middle of a conversation that never stops. Brands that show up with a prepared post after the match are already too late,” says Livia Gammardella, Head of Marketing and Digital at Latam Intersect.

Three profiles, three different conversations

Not all fans are the same, and treating them as if they were is one of the most common mistakes in communication strategies for major sporting events. Audience analysis identifies three clearly different archetypes: the casual fan, who gets caught up in the spirit during important matches but disconnects if their team is eliminated; the devoted fan, loyal to their team and routines, who sees any brand opportunism as disrespect; and the fanatic, for whom football is identity and belonging, and who grants loyalty only to those who demonstrate a genuine connection to the sport.

To these three segments are added fast-growing audiences that global campaigns often ignore: women fans, whose digital engagement continues to grow steadily, and supporters who come to football through pop culture, memes, and music.

Prime time as a strategic window

One of the most significant differences from the last two World Cups is the broadcast schedule. In 2018 and 2022, the time zones of Russia and Qatar pushed matches into Latin American mornings or afternoons. In 2026, most matches will fall in prime time across the region, opening an opportunity that practically did not exist in recent editions.

“A World Cup in prime time was exactly what retail needed. People will not watch the matches alone: they will gather with family, order food, buy products. The brand that uses cultural intelligence to understand the localized rituals of its fan will build far more connection than it could expect,” says Claudia Daré, partner and co-founder of Latam Intersect.

The Latin American fan of 2026 is younger, more digital, and more diverse than in any previous edition. Digital platforms have shifted from being support channels to becoming the main stage. And while the conversation is global in scale, it is always local in content.

The tournament will unfold simultaneously on two screens. Instagram works as a visual archive and positioning channel. TikTok is where trends are born, rewarding native creativity over expensive production. X is the public square for minute-by-minute conversation, with relevance windows that close in a matter of seconds. And physical spaces, bars, fan fests, family gatherings, regain prominence that the schedules of the last two editions had reduced considerably.

Treating them as a single distribution channel is, according to specialists, the fastest way for a brand to go unnoticed.

The 2026 World Cup arrives with an architecture unlike any previous edition: more countries, more matches, more screens, and an audience that does not wait for kickoff to start the conversation. In Latin America, where football functions as a shared language across generations, social classes, and borders, the tournament promises to be a moment of cultural cohesion on a historic scale.

The post Sports marketing will change in Latin America during the 2026 World Cup appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.