HONORÉ GAMING
Understanding the Africa opportunity
Christophe Casanova, COO at Honoré Gaming, spoke to GIO about the opportunities available for operators looking to enter Africa.
one-size-fits-all approach does not work in Africa. To gain a deep understanding of the market, operators can look to partner with land-based bookmakers and/or work with platform partners that have developed their technologies, products and solutions specifically for the region. This also helps them to provide a seamless betting experience despite the technical challenges faced. This usually means running a stripped- back sportsbook that is super lightweight so that it doesn’t consume large amounts of data.
Why have operators been hesitant to make a move in Africa? Is this changing? Christophe Casanova: Africa is a market that has been on operator radars for many years but some of the unique challenges it presents have seen many take a very considered approach when it comes to deploying their brands across the region. But this is changing and, over the past 12 months especially, we have seen some of the biggest names in the business finally get in on the action. This includes the likes of 888, bet365 and Entain. Despite the hesitancy of international operators, local brands and smaller sportsbooks have been serving the African market for some time now and many have found success by ensuring they deliver a betting experience that meets player preferences in each market. I’d say it’s this success, and having a better understanding of the market, the challenges faced and how they can be overcome, that has ultimately led to the power players making their move.
What are the key challenges they face in launching their brands into the market? CC: The challenges in Africa are very similar to other emerging jurisdictions such
12 MAY 2023 GIO
as LatAm. This includes patchwork regulations that often change at short notice (especially when it comes to the tax levied against operators), dated technical infrastructure, high data costs to consumers and the prevalence of feature phones over smartphones. This can make it tough for operators to determine whether a particular market is viable to enter or not, and if it is, to then deliver a seamless bettor experience as they would in more established markets such as Europe. Of course, where there are challenges there are also opportunities and those that have been able to clear these hurdles have established a solid, successful and sustainable presence in markets across the region.
How can these challenges be overcome? CC: It’s important to have a clear understanding of each market from legal and regulatory requirements to cultural and player preferences. Africa is a vast and varied continent so it’s important for operators to take each country as a standalone market. As in the US, a
This is one of the greatest errors that European operators have made to date – they have gone live with sophisticated books and casinos that offer live streaming and complex slots that simply consume too much data or do not run on the limited bandwidth available. Instead, they need to focus on providing a seamless betting/casino experience that includes the markets, odds and bet types/games that African players look for.
Just how important is localisation? How can this be achieved? CC: Localisation is mission-critical for operators looking to succeed in Africa. Language and currency are a given, but operators must also consider bet types, payments and more. For example, African bettors love to place 8-leg combos as well as close bets, so operators absolutely must offer these. The payments experience is fast becoming a deal-breaker for players when deciding which sportsbooks and casinos to play at. They want a wide choice of options and a deposit and withdrawal process that is frictionless and near-instant. This means operators must onboard all local payment providers such as M-PESA (mobile banking dominates across the continent) to their gateway and do all they can to limit the number of clicks, swipes and taps players are required to make to complete a transaction.
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