Africa
“Land-based Casinos Should Crisis-proof Their Operations and Diversify Online” – WinPrincess’ Guven Eraslan
After announcing its partnership with WinPrincess, whereby the principal retail casino in Tanzania will be diversifying its operations, incorporating the digital channels to its retail business strategy, leading iGaming platform provider BtoBet meets with Guven Eraslan, Executive Coordinator of the WinPrincess Group, to understand key market traits.
Coming from the casino vertical, do you intend to stick to your core brand strategy or diversify and grasp the opportunity that other verticals keep in hold?
Our core business is the operation of land-based casinos. At heart we are a family owned traditional bricks and mortar company with strong values. But like any other company we need to grow in order to continue to remain relevant.
Therefore, we cannot afford to miss any of the opportunities that lie ahead of us, and our focus will be on all verticals within the iGaming industry. Our mid-term strategy is to be online in all the countries where we operate land-based casinos already. With marketing being key to the success of the online business, we believe that we can create a synergy through our already existing physical presence, knowledge of the culture and manpower on the front.
You have targeted Tanzania for your first expansion to online gambling. Why Tanzania?
Tanzania’s betting industry has more than doubled in the last three years. Moreover three of the fastest growing cities in the world are in Tanzania. Dar Es Salaam has a population of 6.7 million people and is projected to grow by 100% to 13.4 million by 2035.
Apart from this it is important to note that all of the fastest growing 15 cities in the world are found in Africa. We believe that Africa is a safe bet if you need a good start. And that is exactly what we need, if we are to tackle and master diversification within a traditional casino company such as ours.
From a global perspective land-based casinos have been slow to shift or expand their operations to the digital channels, and thus providing a more complete betting experience where all the channels are interlinked. Why do you think is there such a reluctance from retail casino operators to transform their business strategies?
I think people are reluctant to change in general. We are talking about two totally different cultures as well, with the online branch of the business considered as the disruptor in our traditional casino world, where until recently people always needed to be physically present in a brick and mortar casino in order to place their money on bets. Thus there always needed to be a live interaction and it was more like a personal experience.
That is not required anymore, with online casino bringing about a clash of cultures, if you will. Well it is quite clear that it is us, the land-based casino operators, the ones that need to change and adapt. Diversification can only be made in the direction of progress. Business diversification is definitely something that all land-based operators need to address in the short term. We are up to the challenge, and with the right vision and the right partners such as BtoBet we will get there.
The coronavirus pandemic has brought about never before seen measures requiring social distancing. How has this effected the retail casino business?
All but 12 of our casinos are closed at the moment. So we are talking about 20 closed casinos of which we do not know yet when they will be allowed to reopen. The best business model is a crisis-proof one, and there will be a lot of analysis from all industries on how they can achieve this.
Nonetheless I dare say that if we could have achieved a diversification to online more early, and by doing so hedged our investments, we probably would have not been hit as hard.
Do you think that the pandemic will eventually change the players’ behaviour?
We cannot foresee with certainty what the player behaviour will look like after the crisis. People might be more hesitant to go to a casino but on the other hand once normality returns I believe that social interaction will be a key element that will characterize people’s lives.
My guess is that everything will go back to normal once the pandemic is under control. People have a tendency of wanting to forget bad times. After all social interaction is what makes us human, so we will not easily give up on that.
What elements made you choose BtoBet’s Neuron 3 platform as the technological core of your online business?
When I did my own research for iGaming and sports betting platform providers, which are active in Africa it was amazing that under every stone I turned I found BtoBet. When a company of our size wants to go online there is a lot of demand for working with us. And although we had contact with all the main companies in the online gaming business, our decision in the end was quite easy. Knowledge, expertise and trustworthiness are key elements that distinguish BtoBet, and we look forward to work with them on other similar projects.
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The African iGaming Alliance (AIA) announced the appointment of Peter Kesitilwe, former CEO of the Botswana Gambling Authority, as its first Chief Executive Officer.
The Alliance – founded by betPawa, Betway, 888Africa and Sportybet – was established to promote a responsible, well-regulated online betting and gaming industry across Africa. Its mission is to advance fair competition, consumer protection and sustainable regulatory and tax frameworks that support both growth and responsibility.
“I am deeply honoured to be appointed as the AIA’s first CEO. I look forward to working with regulators and policymakers to build a vibrant, sustainable & competitive industry that upholds the highest standards of responsible gambling and consumer protection,” said Kesitilwe.
Board members welcomed Kesitilwe’s appointment:
Anthony Prissman, Betway Africa : “Peter’s strong regulatory background and leadership experience bring immediate credibility to the AIA. We are excited to work with him to help shape a responsible industry across the continent.”
Dan Thomson, betPawa : “Peter’s appointment reflects the strength of the AIA and our mission to build a vibrant, well-regulated sector throughout Africa.”
Gregory Parsons, SportyBet: “The AIA was created to support balanced regulation and raise standards for responsible gambling. Peter’s leadership marks the beginning of this journey.”
Christopher Coyne, 888Africa: “Following a rigorous recruitment process, Peter’s vision for the future of iGaming in Africa stood out. We look forward to working with him and engaging stakeholders to deliver that vision.”
The AIA aims to be the voice of the online gaming industry in Africa, fostering collaboration between operators, regulators and governments to create a transparent, responsible and commercially sustainable sector.
The post African iGaming Alliance Appoints Former Botswana Regulator Peter Kesitilwe as CEO appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Full-service hub, uniting four content leaders of racing in 1/ST CONTENT, ARC, RMG and Tabcorp, is set to reinforce its existing racing alliance with SOREC at key Casablanca summit
Racing1, the brand name for the newly formed Strategic Alliance between 1/ST CONTENT, Arena Racing Company (ARC), Racecourse Media Group (RMG) and Tabcorp, is making its conference debut at the Grand Prix D’Afrique (11-13 September, Casablanca), thanks to its partners at SOREC (Société Royale d’Encouragement du Cheval).
The Grand Prix D’Afrique (GPA) has quickly become a must-attend annual event for African lotteries, organized by SOREC and run in conjunction with the African Lotteries Association (ALA). After three successful editions in Marrakesh, the GPA has now moved to Casablanca, Morocco’s economic capital, for this upcoming renewal.
Racing1’s compelling daily timetable of engaging racing action from around the world (UK, North and South America, Turkey, Morocco, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) boasts a 24/7 chronology to seamlessly complement any lottery or sportsbook programme across any time-zone, supplying global partners with a reliable source of fast-settling betting content at varied viewing windows throughout diverse territories.
Via the Racing1 brand, 1/ST CONTENT, ARC, RMG and Tabcorp are deploying their combined expertise to deliver targeted, localised solutions that appeal to assorted audiences, whether they’re already familiar with racing, or new to the sport and in need of more educational content.
Simon Fraser, spokesperson for Racing1, said: “It’s great to welcome industry delegates to our new stand, where we are demonstrating how Racing1 has conveniently crystallised a once-entangled worldwide web of racing rights into one package, enabling simpler consumption which is crucial in emerging markets.
“Via Racing1’s subsidiary product, Racing1 Markets, we can also demonstrate our one-stop-shop 24/7 racing solution, available in one simple contract and integration via our new iFrame, or existing API solution.
“Racing can be complicated, particularly for those unfamiliar with the space, and a key driver behind Racing1 is to simplify integration and contractual efforts for customers, whilst offering a fully outsourced 24/7 industry-leading offering direct to platforms and operators. It also signals Racing1’s wider intent to return better value to racing’s key stakeholders through more international deals, not merely through the domestic operators where racing is seen as a more traditionally consumed sport.
“Stop by our stand to see how Racing1 benefits consumers and operators alike – with a complete racing package via one contract and one integration.”
The post Racing1 is exhibiting for the first time at the Grand Prix D’Afrique appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
BetKing, Nigeria’s leading sports betting and digital entertainment brand under KingMakers, has renewed its official partnership with Ikorodu City Football Club for the 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) season.
This marks the third consecutive year of collaboration between both organisations, highlighting a shared commitment to grassroots development, youth empowerment and the growth of Nigerian football.
Since the partnership began in 2023, Ikorodu City FC, popularly known as the Oga Boys, has risen rapidly through the ranks, earning promotion to the NPFL in 2024 and finishing an impressive fourth place in their debut 2024/25 campaign.
Their season was highlighted by a record-breaking 6–0 victory over Katsina United, one of the most dominant results in NPFL history.
BetKing’s support for Nigerian sports extends far beyond football. The company recently commissioned a modern mini sports complex at Ifako Ijaiye, already serving over 400,000 community members, including neighbouring communities.
The post BetKing Renews Ikorodu City FC Partnership for 2025/26 NPFL Season appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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