Africa

“Land-based Casinos Should Crisis-proof Their Operations and Diversify Online” – WinPrincess’ Guven Eraslan

Published

6 years ago

June 3, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

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.

Africa

Gaming Tech Summit Africa convenes regulators and operators in Nairobi

Published

4 days 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

7 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

7 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.