Africa
South Africa intensifies online gambling crackdown
South Africa is planning to move ahead with its effort to tackle unauthorised internationally licensed online gambling operators active in the country.
In 2016, South Africa’s Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) published a draft National Gambling Policy document, describing the government’s intention to ensure that “no new forms of gambling” would be permitted in the Africa continent’s largest gambling market.
Last Friday, DTI issued a notice of intention to introduce the National Gambling Amendment Act 2018 into parliament during the legislature’s second term of 2018. The bill further restricts South African gamblers’ ability to access online gambling products not available to them via locally licensed operators, who are limited to offering sports betting only.
Among the new restrictions are explicit warnings to financial institutions that they “must not process payment transactions for any gambling activities that are not licensed” under the country’s existing gambling rules.
As previously stated, individual South African bettors who dare to wager with unauthorised international sites will have their winnings forfeited to the National Gambling Regulator (NGR), the new overseer of South African gambling following a proposed “repositioning” of the National Gambling Board.
The NGR will keep a “register of unlawful gambling operators,” and anyone tagged with this scarlet letter will be prohibited from seeking a South African license for five years following the day of their listing.
The National Lotteries Commission (NLC) will be given authority over regulation of all lotteries and sports pools and will “prescribe a maximum limit of licenses” for betting on lottery results and sports pools.
The government also plans to ban both dog racing and wagering on dog races, while allowing the horse racing industry to create a “self-regulating body” whose activities will be overseen by the NGR. Race betting operators will be required to kick back a “reasonable amount” of their race wagering revenue to “the development of the horse racing industry and usage of products belonging to totalizator operators.”
The amendments also plan to regulate electronic bingo, require gambling venues located in public spaces (shopping malls, arcades, etc.) to ensure that their entrances are “separate” and “hidden,” and ban the installation of automatic teller machines in or around gambling venues.
Operators have also been tasked with achieving “broad-based black economic empowerment targets in the gambling industry,” while provincial licensing bodies must impose these empowerment targets in their licensing conditions, meaning licenses can be suspended or withdrawn if these targets are not met.
The last few years have seen stalwart efforts by some South African legislators to attempt to shift the government away from its prohibitionist online stance, but these efforts have failed to gain much traction and the government appears intent on doubling down on its head-in-the-sand approach. Good luck with that.
Source: calvinayre.com
Africa
Hub88 partners with LiveGames to enhance content offering
Hub88 has partnered with live casino supplier LiveGames, further strengthening its product offering by adding a unique range of content to its platform.
LiveGames provides fully customisable online live dealer games and branded tables including the first vertical roulette table in the sector, along with crash games and the widely played Tombola.
The supplier delivers experiences with a player-focused design, easy to use mobile interface, and high-resolution broadcasts.
The partnership will support LiveGames’ goal to further expand in international markets, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America where Hub88 has a strong presence.
The deal showcases Hub88’s commitment to grow its ecosystem of partners, offering a diverse portfolio of products and content.
Ollie Castleman, Head of Hub88, said: “We’re thrilled to unveil this strategic partnership with LiveGames which sees us add a great provider to our platform, one that utilises modern technology to offer bespoke and personalised gaming experiences to players.
“We are looking forward to collaborating and strengthening our content library with their diverse games.”
The LiveGames Team said: “Our journey started in a small studio and as a team, we are excited about now expanding to every corner of the world together with Hub88 and their extensive operator network.
“We are committed to promoting innovation in the industry and this partnership will support us on that mission.”
Africa
NE Group powers 888bets launch in Angola
NE Group, a leading B2B iGaming software supplier, has teamed up with online gambling operator 888 to launch 888bets for the Angolan market.
888Africa was originally set up to operate 888 brands in online betting and gaming markets across hand-picked regulated countries within Africa. Angolan sports bettors will now have seamless access to online sports betting through 888bets.co.ao
NE Group specialises in offering innovative, lightweight front-end solutions for best-in-class iGaming experiences. An extensive localised knowledge is the inspiration behind a platform that is renowned for flexibility and adaptation for unique African preferences. Together with 888, the platform delivers smooth gameplay across diverse data speed environments – essential for broad accessibility in Africa.
For the first time in the country, Angolan bettors will have the opportunity to experience the acclaimed Aviator crash-game on the platform. Additionally, the new site incorporates built-in features and tools for Responsible Gaming teams to monitor and support safe gaming practices
NE Group CEO Imran Bukhari said: “It’s brilliant to see the 888bets sportsbook launch in Angola to bring sports betting fans an experience they deserve. Our specialised sports betting platform and lightweight frontend solution for Africa allows 888bets to quickly scale.”
888bets added: “As a country with huge potential, we expect big things from our launch in Angola. Working with NE Group has enabled us to deliver an experience that sports bettors will love and that is enriched with engaging products.”
Africa
KingMakers’ Nigerian operating business, BetKing, selects Genius Sports to power growth with in-play trading services
New partnership sees KingMakers’ BetKing business benefit from Genius Sports’ leading portfolio of in-play content in Nigeria, including football, tennis and basketball
Genius Sports Limited has today announced a new agreement to supply KingMakers, one of the fastest-growing group of betting operators in Africa, with a range of in-play trading services.
The deal sees BetKing power its live betting product with ultra-fast venue content for the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, English Football League, FIBA basketball and every other major European and South American football league.
Genius Sports will also provide BetKing with its market-leading trading services which include modelled odds feeds for major football competitions.
With in-play sports betting growing rapidly across Africa, fast and accurate odds are vital to maximising revenues by increasing the availability of betting markets.
Tim Smeets, Trading Director at Kingmakers said “We’re thrilled to announce our new partnership with Genius Sports. Their trusted trading solutions, including low-latency in-play content on crucial football leagues like the Premier League, will enable us to offer market-leading betting experiences for BetKing users in Nigeria.”
Will Westcott, Head of Business Development at Genius Sports said “Every year, we continue to invest in delivering the highest-quality trading services for the African market. With the value of in-play betting growing across Africa, we’re excited to help BetKing execute its online sports betting vision in Nigeria, by providing it with the fastest, most reliable live content on the market for major sports.”
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