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World Sports Bodies raise Concern Over Kenya Copyright Bill

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Kenya’s 2019 Copyright Amendment Bill, incorporates principles from the WIPO Internet Treaties of 1996, aimed at preventing unauthorised access to and use of creative works

A coalition of global sports bodies has written an open letter to the Kenyan government, expressing concern about the Copyright Amendment Bill currently before parliament, and its potential impact on the availability of international sports content in Kenya.

The Sports Rights Owner Coalition (SROC) is an alliance of more than 50 international and national sport bodies, representing some of the world’s leading sport codes and competitions – including the English Premier League, the FA Cup, Wimbledon, MotoGP, and the Rugby World Cup.

In the recent letter, signed by Chairman Mark Lichtenstein, the SROC says its members are “extremely concerned” at changes that will be made to Kenya’s Copyright Act if the Copyright Amendment Bill becomes law.

The SROC is particularly worried about proposals to repeal sections 35B, 35C and 35D of the Copyright Act, which allow for take-down notices issued to internet-based service provider platforms which enable content piracy to flourish.

A take-down notice is a widely used remedy employed by copyright owners worldwide, compelling online platforms to rapidly remove content from their websites if it is suspected that the content infringes copyright.

The Kenya Copyright Board (KeCOBO) champion of the Partners Against Piracy (PAP) initiative, has come out in support of the SROC letter.

“Take-down notices are a critical tool for copyright holders and related rights holders to fight digital content piracy by controlling the distribution and economic viability of their work and how it is accessed online,” says Edward Sigei, KeCOBO Executive Director.

“Across the world, they help to safeguard the intellectual property rights of sports rights owners. If rights owners cannot request that pirated sports content is taken down immediately, that will threaten the future of live sports broadcasts in Kenya. Why would international sports media allow sports broadcasts in Kenya, if they have no way of stopping them from being pirated!”

Kenya’s 2019 Copyright Amendment Bill, incorporates principles from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Internet Treaties of 1996, aimed at preventing unauthorised access to and use of creative works. Takedown notices are among these principles and are necessary tools to enforce copyright protections for rights owners and distributors.

If the Amendment Bill is passed into law, Kenya will be out of step with global trends, the average Kenyan will lose out on great sports entertainment. A further negative consequence of this Amendment Bill passing would be the reputational and economic investment quagmire it would create is jeopardising Kenya’s ability to renew participation in the Africa Growth and Opportunity Agreement (AGOA) program, as one of the additional provisions of renewal requires a demonstrated commitment to copyright protection as a prerequisite to signing. Repealing section 35 of the Copyright Act, would do the exact opposite and threaten investor confidence.

The SROC points out that in Europe, policy makers are strengthening not weakening the effectiveness of take-down notices, particularly regarding live content. New proposals to protect live content more effectively in Europe are expected in the first half of 2022.

“Were the Copyright Amendment Bill to be enacted, it could have devastating consequences for both the Kenyan economy and Kenyan consumers,” says the SROC letter. “Rights holders from sport and other creative industries are extremely unlikely to license their content in a jurisdiction that effectively legitimises piracy. Consumers would therefore be deprived from watching their favourite sports and television shows, and leave Kenya isolated on the global copyright stage.”

The coalition – which includes the English FA, UEFA, the IAAF, and the International Tennis Federation – goes on to ask that the proposed new law be urgently reconsidered “so as not to harm Kenyan consumers and threaten the availability of sports and entertainment content in Kenya.”

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Africa

Hollywoodbets partnership drives Tom Horn Gaming’s expansion in South Africa

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Tom Horn Gaming has enhanced its footprint in South Africa by rolling out its complete gaming content with prominent operator Hollywoodbets via direct integration.

The partnership allows Hollywoodbets’ users to enjoy Tom Horn Gaming’s complete array of titles, introducing the provider’s varied collection of entertaining slot experiences to one of the leading betting and gaming brands in the area.

The alliance further strengthens the companies’ current connection in additional markets, enhancing cooperation and broadening Tom Horn Gaming’s content presence in Africa’s swiftly evolving iGaming environment.

Ondrej Lapides, CEO at Tom Horn Gaming, commented: “We are delighted to expand our partnership with Hollywoodbets and bring our games to players in South Africa. Achieving full compliance for this market required considerable effort from our teams, so it is particularly rewarding to see our portfolio now live with such a respected and established operator. Hollywoodbets has built an outstanding reputation and strong player base, and we are confident our games will resonate well with their audience.”

Wade Dorkin, Head of Product at Hollywoodbets added: “We are thrilled to introduce Tom Horn Gaming’s titles to our South African audience. Their games are recognised for their creativity and engaging mechanics, and we believe they will be a fantastic addition to our offering. This partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to continuously enhance our entertainment experience with high-quality content.”

Players at Hollywoodbets can now access an extensive array of the supplier’s games, including the timeless 243 Crystal Fruits series, Book of Aladdin, and Majestic Coins, celebrated for their unique themes, creative features, and top-notch gameplay aimed at appealing to a wide range of slot enthusiasts.

The launch bolsters Tom Horn Gaming’s continuing strategy to extend its global presence while providing cutting-edge gaming experiences customized for distinct markets.

The post Hollywoodbets partnership drives Tom Horn Gaming’s expansion in South Africa appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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QTech Games wins Strategic Partner of the Year at the 2026 Africa Gaming Expo (AGE) Awards in Lagos

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QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for emerging markets, has been named Strategic Partner of the Year at the annual AGE Awards (Africa Gaming Expo), standing out among a competitive field of top aggregation providers.

The award recognises companies that have demonstrated tactical excellence and delivered innovative solutions tailored to the African iGaming sector over the past 12 months. QTech Games impressed judges with its continued strategic growth, collaborative approach, and ability to meet the evolving demands of the market.

The AGE Awards celebrate innovation and technological advancement across the African gaming landscape, with QTech Games earning recognition for the significant progress it has made throughout the 2025–26 judging period. The company’s focus on partnership-driven growth and market-specific solutions has been central to its success.

Philip Doftvik, CEO of QTech Games, commented:
“We’re thrilled to receive this award and be recognised as a strategic partner of choice in Africa. Being shortlisted was an honour, but winning is a true validation of our approach—from our breakthrough retail solution, QTech Hybrid, to our commitment to close collaboration with partners. We pride ourselves on thinking differently and consistently going the extra mile.”

He added:
“This recognition is also a testament to the dedication of our team and the innovative suppliers on our platform. As a leading distributor for emerging markets, we remain focused on delivering high-quality content and driving growth for our partners across Africa and beyond.”

The post QTech Games wins Strategic Partner of the Year at the 2026 Africa Gaming Expo (AGE) Awards in Lagos appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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QTech Games launches more fast-paced content from Shacks Evolution Studios for Africa

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QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for all emerging markets, has signed its latest supplier partnership with global B2B content developer and provider Shacks Evolution Studios, enabling its platform customers to access the supplier’s expansive catalogue. The portfolio is specifically tailored for Africa, featuring an array of instant-win, crash, and virtuals content.

Shacks Evolution Studios was founded in 2021, and is dedicated to delivering localized quality casino content for African and other previously untapped international markets. Styling itself as Africa’s first iGaming studio, the supplier’s content is carefully curated and developed, with a strategic outlook to surmount barriers to entry such as local languages, currencies, low end phones or latency issues.

Popular hits include crash games like Busly or Matatu, virtuals like Penaldo, wheel games such as Reel Wheel or Spin The Bottle, instant games like Coin Toss, and leading mines game Citadel, alongside more traditional table games. These titles are light and fast to load, providing a ready solution to overcoming local obstacles to engagement in emerging markets, such as handset quality limitations, restricted access to fast networks, and high data costs.

This breakthrough announcement with QTech now affords the supplier wider reach across Africa’s emerging markets, where QTech has already staked multiple jurisdictional flags, and beyond. In turn, incorporating this ever-evolving production line emphasizes QTech Games’ diverse range of gaming options, providing a definitive one-stop shop, which has fast become the “go-to” solution for operators across the ripening African marketplace.

As the fastest-growing aggregator over the past few years, QTech’s platform offers the most expansive gaming portfolio around, localised for each region, with native mobile apps, powerful reporting and marketing tools, and 24/7 local-language support.

QTech Games CEO, Philip Doftvik, said: “We’re committed to rolling out more and more high-class content for Africa, and this exciting new deal with Shacks Evolution Studios showcases an agile array of content which solves for fine-grained, local requirements in countries where light, rapid-load games are a must.

“Being local is always vital, and it’s a domain of igaming activity in which QTech excels. In high-growth regions like Africa, content diversity matters enormously because player demand evolves very quickly — and it’s also shaped by local realities such as mobile usage, data costs, device types, and payment preferences.

“From what we’ve observed in Africa to date, localised design drives player behaviour when it comes to: familiar mechanics reducing friction and increasing adoption; local themes and culturally relevant formats significantly lifting engagement; and faster game cycles increasing repeat play among younger cohorts. And Shacks Evolution Studios’ varied content embodies these requirements.”

Esther Osifo, Growth and Operations Manager at Shacks Evolution Studios, added: “Shacks is all about giving promising African developers the chance to shine. It’s about building a full ecosystem from virtuals and crash games to homegrown titles that defines Africa’s ascendant position on the igaming map. 

“QTech’s platform is a gateway to fresh audiences, and nowhere does that apply more in Africa, where they are already a mature player. We can’t wait to see how our highly engaging games perform for a host of new local operators, including both established and challenger brands.”

The post QTech Games launches more fast-paced content from Shacks Evolution Studios for Africa appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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