GAMING FOR AFRICA
Top 6 African Countries Dominating Sports
Africa’s sports betting industry has evolved into one of the continent’s most dynamic and profitable economic sectors, with early 2025 data underscoring just how massive the market has become From mobile apps to USSD platforms and physical betting shops, the number of bettors has surged — driven by youthful demographics, greater smartphone penetration, and improving internet connectivity across the continent. According to GeoPoll’s April 2025 Betting in Africa survey, the number of people participating in sports betting continues to rise in tandem with access to digital tools and disposable income. When matched with mid-year 2025 population data from Worldometer, the full scale of participation reveals just how central betting has become to entertainment and income generation in many African countries.
What’s Driving the Numbers?
Nigeria leads the continent by sheer volume, with nearly 169 million estimated bettors — a reflection of both its large population and the increasing normalization of betting across all age groups.
South Africa exhibits the highest participation rate (90%), thanks to a mature gambling infrastructure, widespread internet access, and a well-established regulatory environment. In East Africa, Kenya and Uganda continue to shine with exceptionally high participation rates (79% and 87% respectively), much of which is attributed to the dominance of mobile money platforms and app-based betting tailored to low-data environments.
Tanzania and Ghana round out the top six, highlighting how even markets with relatively
lower internet penetration are finding growth through innovative tech solutions and aggressive operator expansion.
A Burgeoning Opportunity
Investors and regulators are closely watching the space, as the betting boom presents both economic opportunities and social challenges. While the sector has been praised for job creation and tax revenue generation, concerns around problem gambling and financial literacy are also surfacing.
As Africa’s betting market becomes more formalized, countries are beginning to adopt more structured regulatory frameworks, especially as international operators enter the scene and governments seek to maximise both economic benefit and consumer protection.
SARGF Whatsapp Support Line Unbanned by Meta
In an alarming case of Meta algorithms being unable to discern between gambling promotion and responsible gambling, Meta recently banned the South Africa’s National Responsible Gambling Programme’s whatsapp helpline and required the intervention of a number of high-profile key stakeholders and an online gambling operator firmly involved in promoting responsible gambling to get Meta to review its decision.
South African Responsible Gambling Programme Executive Director, Sibongile Simelane-Quntana expressed her gratitude to Members of Parliament, the government’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Technologies as well as a leading gambling operator for their interventions in getting Meta to unban a key communications and support channel for problem gamblers.
Sumsub’s Richy Emah Receives Rockstar Award
In an alarming case of Meta algorithms being unable to discern between gambling promotion and responsible gambling, Meta recently banned the South Africa’s National Responsible Gambling Programme’s whatsapp helpline and required the intervention of a number of high-profile key stakeholders and an online gambling operator firmly involved in promoting responsible gambling to get Meta to review its decision.
South African Responsible Gambling Programme Executive Director, Sibongile Simelane-Quntana expressed her gratitude to Members of Parliament, the government’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Technologies as well as a leading gambling operator for their interventions in getting Meta to unban a key communications and support channel for problem gamblers.
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