Africa
South Africa: Tribunal Grants Lottoland Interim Relief – Orders Google to Grant Lottoland Access to its Advertising Platform
The Competition Tribunal (“Tribunal”) has issued an interim order directing Google Ireland Ltd and Google South Africa (Pty) Ltd (collectively, “Google”) to permit Lottoland South Africa (Pty) Ltd (“Lottoland”) to access its advertising services known as “Google Ads”, for so long as Google permits any firm in South Africa to utilise Google’s Ads Services to advertise fixed-odds betting on the outcome of lotteries. The Tribunal’s order applies for a period of six months from its date, or the conclusion of a hearing into the prohibited practices alleged by Lottoland, whichever is the earlier.
This platform enables advertisers to display ads to users who utilise Google search, with Google Ireland acting as the service provider for Google Ads in South Africa.
The Tribunal’s order follows an interim relief application by Lottoland, a licensed bookmaker, which, inter alia, offers fixed-odds bets on the outcome of various lotteries around the world, including the South African national lottery, sporting events and other betting contingencies. Lottoland competes with other licensed bookmakers in South Africa such as Hollywood Bets, World Sports Betting, Betway, Betfred (which owns Lottostar) and Netbet (which trades as Sportingbet).
In summary, Lottoland alleged that Google terminated its access to Google Ads without justification while allowing access to its competitors, causing it financial harm and distorting competition in the market that Lottoland operates in, to the detriment of consumers.
Google contended that Lottoland’s offering of fixed-odds bets on the outcome of the national lottery in South Africa contravenes sections 57(1) and 57(2)(g) of the Lotteries Act. It submitted that in terms of its online advertising policies, which are designed to protect users, restrictions are placed on the promotion of certain gambling activities. Of particular relevance, the promotion of lotteries is limited to state-licensed entities and that this restriction is in place to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Lotteries Act.
Reasons for Decision
A non-confidential version of the Tribunal’s reasons will be published in due course once any confidentiality claims in relation to the reasons have been finalised with the parties involved. In deciding the matter, the Tribunal considered the following three factors holistically, balancing each factor against the other to determine what is reasonable and just:
• Evidence relating to the alleged prohibited practice;
• The need to prevent serious or irreparable damage to the applicant (Lottoland); and
• The balance of convenience.
The post South Africa: Tribunal Grants Lottoland Interim Relief – Orders Google to Grant Lottoland Access to its Advertising Platform appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
WorldGaming has entered into a partnership with the African iGaming Alliance. The first major initiative delivered through the partnership will be the launch of the Africa Summit at iGB L!VE London, taking place on July 1. The business-critical Summit brings together African regulators, international operators, suppliers and industry stakeholders to explore market development and market entry, regulatory cooperation, investment opportunities and sustainable growth across the continent.
Sponsored by SmartSoft Gaming, the Africa Summit will bring together local regulators and operators for direct insight into the regulatory priorities, commercial opportunities and market dynamics shaping gaming in African markets.
Peter Emolemo Kesitilwe, former Botswana gambling regulator and CEO of the African iGaming Alliance, said the partnership would help position African markets to play a more active role in shaping the global gaming conversation.
“Africa is one of the most dynamic and strategically important regions in global gaming. Through our partnership with WorldGaming, we want to ensure African regulators, policymakers and industry leaders are not just part of the global conversation, but helping to shape it.
“The Africa Summit at iGB L!VE will be the first expression of that partnership, creating a platform for practical collaboration, knowledge exchange and sustainable market growth.”
Stuart Hunter, Managing Director of WorldGaming, said the partnership reflected the company’s commitment to supporting operators and suppliers looking to understand and enter high-growth markets.
“We are delighted to be working with the African iGaming Alliance to launch the Africa Summit at iGB L!VE.
“Africa represents one of the most important growth opportunities in global gaming, but success depends on market knowledge, regulatory understanding and trusted local engagement. The Summit has been created to give delegates exactly that.”
The Africa Summit agenda will cover a wide range of business-critical topics including regulatory cooperation, growth through best practice, the future of taxation, adapting global products for local audiences, sports betting, responsible gaming, player protection and integrity, AML, mobile money, KYC and player acquisition.
The programme will also include region-specific roundtables focused on markets across west, east and southern Africa.
The post WorldGaming Enters into Partnership with African iGaming Alliance appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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.
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.
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