Africa - State of the Nations in the Gambling sector

On 7 February 2019, South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the annual State of The Nation Address in front of Parliament in Cape Town, South Africa. With the 6th Annual BiG Africa Supershow quickly approaching, Eventus International shares its state of the nations for the gambling sector in Africa.

South Africa – Online gaming set to suffer from tight regulation 

Certain aspects of the Gambling Amendment Bill have operators worried as it makes it difficult to operate. The bill introduces a whole series of amendments across the National Amendment Act of 2004. Some of these amendments are exceptionally hard on the participants of the market.

For instance, dog racing is now made illegal, alongside with betting on it. Although this move is an ethical decision, a lot of people will become unemployed.

The Gambling Amendment Bill centralizes the power of issuing licenses. While previously all licenses for casinos and limited pay-out machines were granted by local authorities, now it is the job of National Gambling Board. Only time will tell whether this will be a good or bad thing for the sector.

Finally, the fewer license is going to be issued, leaving some companies out of business and others competing for remaining licenses. Gaining clarity on these regulatory changes should be on the top of every South African operator’s list this year at BiG Africa 2019.

East Africa – Big growth and big tension

Earlier this week, it was reported that sports betting and other sports related content is the most searched topic of interest in Kenya. According to a 2019 report by Hootsuite and We Are Social, 11 of the 20 top Google searches were directly related to betting. This is due to East African operators having diverse strategies for online and offline marketing.

Kenya also has the highest number of millennials who take part in sports betting in sub-Saharan Africa. On average, Kenyan millennials spend more than the $50 sub-Saharan monthly average 

Although this growth is great for the industry, there is also rumours of regulatory restriction floating around the news recently. After Uganda reportedly banned gambling two weeks ago; religious leaders and politicians in Kenya and Tanzania are reportedly also seeking to make similar bans within the next few years.

Clarity on these regulatory developments and the best lessons on customer acquisition and retention will all be covered at the BiG Africa Supershow this year.

West Africa – Africa’s growth champion

Of all the countries included Gambling Outlook 2013/17, Nigeria came out on top in terms of potential for the fastest growth, which could be anywhere north of 17% in terms of year-on-year growth.

Online sports betting has seen tremendous growth in Nigeria since then. Mobile payment is now starting to create even more gains for online sports betting operators. 

In a previous article, we noted that mobile betting transactions in Nigeria had increased from $420 million in 2016 to $620 Million in 2018, which equates to about 47,6% increase over the 2-year period or 23.3% growth annually.

Conclusion

Although gambling industry growth in Africa is consistently defying expectation due to powerful marketing, regulation seems to be a concerning factor on the continent as we move closer to the 6th Annual BiG Africa Supershow.

Taking place at Emperors Palace, Johannesburg, South Africa from 25-26 March 2019, the Supershow will bring Africa’s leading experts of all disciplines in the gaming industry together to discuss up-to-the minute developments in regulation, technology, marketing, and best practice.

Register for the BiG Africa Supershow now to join the discussion in March. Seats are selling out fast! 

Register here: https://www.bigafricasummit.com/

Contact us today to discuss our sponsorship and exhibition packages for the BiG Africa Supershow 2019

Lou-Mari Burnett

Marketing Director

Eventus International

Email: loumari@eventus-international.com

Phone: +27829075850

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 About the event:

Every year, more and more competitors enter the market for their share of the $37 Billion combined market size in Africa. As the market becomes ever more competitive every day and as the latest advancements in technologies evolve and change the market, the need for all stakeholders to stay up to date with cutting edge technological advancements and regulatory changes becomes even more necessary every day.

The 6th Annual BiG Africa Supershow is your gateway to the African gambling industry. Each year hundreds of industry stakeholders come from all corners of the globe to meet, network and learn about the biggest opportunities in the African gaming industry as we enter an age of unprecedented growth.

Prepare for the biggest gaming industry gathering of the year as we bring back some of our show’s most knowledgeable and respected stakeholders for the BiG Africa Supershow 2019! The programme has been designed to give all African stakeholders from all aspects of the industry the skills necessary to remain competitively strong and utilize new technologies to keep your players entertained for in 2019.

BY ATTENDING THE BiG AFRICA SUPERSHOWYOU'LL GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO:    

-Gain insight into Africa’s regulations with the continent’s most respected regulators report on gaming activities in their regions

-Be advised on exactly which gaming technologies work best for your region

-Take part in a masterclass and learn how to extend player life cycles

-Benefit from individual casino and sports betting streams with topics designed for your exact needs  

-Ask Africa’s gaming icons for advice on any gaming related topic     

-Grow your network of gaming sector professionals 

Register: https://www.bigafricasummit.com/registration

Contact Eventus International’s Marketing Director; Lou Mari Burnett to find out how Eventus International can raise your profile in the African Market

Lou-Mari Burnett

Marketing Director  

Eventus International

Email: loumari@eventus-international.com

Phone: +27829075850