Africa
Nigerian Law Firm predicts businesses will thrive by ‘embracing the community of operation’ at ICE Africa
The enhanced focus on responsible gambling ahead of this year’s ICE Africa has been hailed by Nigerian legal expert Olafadeke Akeju, Partner at WYS Solicitors, as evidence that the continent’s gaming industry is evolving but that more needs to be done by both regulators and operators working in unison. An ICE Africa Champion, Akeju explores why the idiosyncrasies of each nation matter, the power of community and why the small print needs to be bigger!
What are your key goals in terms of developing Nigeria’s position on the continent?
As an industry consultant with both a regulatory and an advisory background, my aim is to enlighten as much as possible on the existing regulatory, operational and licencing framework in Nigeria and provide adequate information for prospective investors and providers interested in the Nigerian market.
How would you assess the key market dynamics?
We are likely to witness mergers, acquisition and consolidation in the gaming industry in the short term. Also, the stalemate that persists in the regulatory framework and licencing process in Nigeria is getting attention with a view to achieving a sensible resolution.
There is a renewed focus on responsible gaming, in your eyes how do you achieve the balance between social responsibility and enabling business to operate in a competitive environment?
The call for responsible gaming shows that the market is evolving and that the focus is shifting from having an effective licencing process to the assessment of gaming as a business and its impact on the society. Stakeholders have to recognize that business will thrive when it is embraced by the community. The rising general perception that the adverse effect of gaming exceeds its benefit to society, is a pointer that operators and regulators are not doing enough.
A combination of regulatory policies and social responsibility initiatives by operators is required to find the missing balance. Operators must be seen to contribute to the development of the community. Gaming businesses must offer more than employment opportunities and a source of income to be considered socially responsible. No doubt every business has its negatives, but operators must actively contribute to the clean-up of the adverse effect of gambling especially gambling addiction and actively promote self-exclusion. Advertisements aimed at enticing patronage should also include messages condemning addiction and emphasize responsible gaming. It is not enough to have this in small prints of the terms and conditions.
Gaming companies cannot rely on the lack of a regulatory directive on responsible gaming. A knee jerk reaction to impose regulation may erode the industry or prohibit gaming as seen in some parts of the continent. As a consequence, regulatory policies must ensure that all stakeholders collectively protect the vulnerable among us and give fair returns back to players. The industry must not sacrifice moral decency on the altar of profit.
Do you feel regulation can ever keep pace with an industry powered by technology?
Technology drives most human interaction and activities; it is not peculiar to the gaming industry. If legislation or regulation of other sectors keeps pace with technology, then the gaming industry should not be left out.
The challenge with legislation in many African countries is that it pre-dates the online era and sports betting as a business. A number of African countries put regulation in place in the last decade and regulators are still grappling with understanding the operation of technology driven gaming while also required to provide regulation to operators of the business. Also, lack of access to study the operations of sports betting businesses and an independent monitoring/appraisal system makes it difficult for regulators to perform optimally.
The good thing about technology is that it also provides access to resources which regulators and law makers should utilize to learn more about the operation of online gaming while studying the framework in more developed jurisdictions. ICE Africa presents a platform to compare notes with fellow regulators, providers and key stakeholders in the industry.
In Nigeria, changes in regulation of complementary sectors has a positive impact on gaming industry regulation. For instance, the introduction of an aggregator system in the telecoms sector by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) requires all mobile transactions to pass through an aggregation platform. The implication is that gaming regulators can collaborate with the NCC to access gaming related transactions on mobile platforms.
For African countries in the process of amending gaming laws and developing a national gaming policy, the emphasis must be on providing a flexible legislative framework which empowers regulators in consultation with stakeholders to develop policies and introduce processes in response to technological advancement.
WYS works with regulators, government agencies, operators and investors, service providers and suppliers across the gaming and gambling spectrum, what does ICE Africa represent to you?
ICE Africa is a credible initiative that offers networking and learning opportunities for industry stakeholders. The exhibition aspect of the event provides a platform to meet with various product, software and complementary service providers and to compare offerings; this would otherwise be beyond the reach of many operators and stakeholders.
More specifically, the event must be customized to the specific needs of the continent. Despite its obvious similarities, Africa is rife with differences, peculiarities and individualities by countries and regions which must be incorporated into the ICE Africa offering. Effort must be made to continue to identify and address front burner issues on the continent.
Product and service providers participating at ICE Africa must also seize the opportunity to identify Africa’s peculiarities and offer products/services tailored for the African market.
Africa
Punt Casino Voted as “Best No Download Casino 2024” by Popular Guide SouthAfricanCasinos.co.za
South Africa’s most-coveted online casino repository and guide, SouthAfricanCasino.co.za, has recently voted for Punt Casino as the “Best No Download Casino in 2024” in South Africa. Given that the vast majority of present-day online casinos are all “no download” casinos, the field was highly-competitive and the stakes were high.
Receiving such a testimony from SouthAfricanCasino.co.za, the most reputed and popular South African online casinos knowledge base on the World Wide Web, is a massive feather in Punt Casino’s cap. This sentiment was mirrored by Punt Casino management that expressed their sheer delight. They deemed it an honor to be titled the best no download casino in 2024 and added that they would strive to keep up the quality of their platform and maybe even enhance it going into 2024.
“SAC (SouthAfricanCasino.Co.Za) is a go-to resource for most South African online casino enthusiasts. Players know that SAC tests every casino meticulously and they listen to SAC about which casinos are worth their time and which ones are better skipped. Given how important they are in shaping the iGaming market across South Africa, we are elated and proud to have been titled the best no-download casino by SAC this year”, said Punt Casino’s Quality Manager. “This accolade has boosted the morale of our team and we’re now more motivated than ever to continue doing the work and putting out the best games, free spins bonuses, casino features, free bonus no deposit casinos and payment options for our valued members.”, he added.
The operations manager at SAC, Michelle Williams, was happy to hand over the winning title to Punt Casino. “In this day and age, online casino real money players simply don’t have the time to download and install software, they want to be able to play instantly and Punt casino is the best no-download, instant-play casino in the market right now by a long mile. They’ve got the basics right, and they’ve also managed to get all the little details spot on. With a user-friendly interface that is light weight and practical, even a first-timer will feel at ease playing games, depositing funds and withdrawing winnings”, said Williams.
“We’ve looked closely at every nook and corner of the Punt website. Our quality testing team went over their terms and conditions with a fine-toothed comb. In addition to being a fantastic no-download casino with hundreds of entertaining games, Punt casino leaves no stones unturned when it comes to player data security, privacy and responsible gambling features.” William further commented.
Williams also elaborated on how seamless Punt mobile casino is, “Even though there are hundreds of SA-facing no-download online casinos, only a handful are truly mobile optimized. Punt Casino is clearly the pack leader. The mobile site is certainly not an afterthought; it works seamlessly on smartphones and tables across all leading mobile operating systems. Mobile players can access the Punt casino site in seconds using Google Chrome or Safari and pick up right where they left off. Punt Casino is the true hallmark of what a no-download mobile casino should look and feel like in 2024”, added Williams.
Punt Casino’s manager Daniel Miller was quick to acknowledge SAC putting their reputation on the line for Punt. “Being the biggest and best online casino guide in SA, SAC sticks its neck out every time it backs an online casino with a title. Being titled “best no-download casino” is a huge vote of confidence from SAC and we appreciate the recognition very much. The onus is now on us to keep the good work going and further improve our site’s standards going into 2024. Thanks to this title, we now have a target on our backs, where other online casinos will be looking to emulate what we’ve done. “We are very excited to enter a new era of online casino gaming and we’ve already got some fantastic enhancement features in the pipeline that I cannot give away details about”.
According to Michelle Williams, South AfricanCasinos.co.za has made it their primary focus to provide South African players with high-quality, secure, and lucrative online gaming. This includes no-download casinos, real money slots games, which are going to be the future of web casino gaming. Gone are the days when you had to download and install an app before you could wager on a game.
Williams reiterated that Punt Casino had won the Best No-download Casino Award for 2024 purely through merit and totally deserve the title. Although Punt Casino is a no-download casino, it does not ignore any of the essentials.
The Punt Casino customer support team is highly-responsive, well-trained and always there should a player have a question or need help. Players can reach out to support staff in seconds thanks to the convenient live chat channel, which is just a click away when playing on PC or mobile.
Africa
Aviatrix and Hollywoodbets ready for take-off in South Africa
The award-winning crash game Aviatrix is arriving in South Africa for the first time, exclusively with leading betting operator Hollywoodbets.
Hollywoodbets players will enjoy exclusive access to a range of daily tournaments and promotions, making their Aviatrix adventure even more thrilling. Anastasia Rimskaya, Chief Account Officer at Aviatrix, said: “Bringing Aviatrix to South Africa exclusively with Hollywoodbets is an exciting milestone for us. We’re excited to offer South African players a unique experience where they can build, customise, and pilot their own planes while competing for rewards. With Hollywoodbets, we’re confident Aviatrix will soar to new heights in this vibrant market.”
Wayde Dorkin, Head of Product at Hollywoodbets, said: “Everyone at Hollywoodbets is ready for take-off with Aviatrix. Players will be able to exclusively enjoy the game in South Africa, building their own planes, soaring through the skies and earning incredible rewards along the way. Aviatrix delivers an unmatched gaming experience that will keep players on the edge of their seats!”
Aviatrix was recently named ‘Game of the Year’ at the EGR Operator Awards 2024.
The title is constantly updated with new features and functionality, such as the ability to claim free bets with promo codes within the game.
Africa
Racing1 partners with SOREC to bring International Racing to Morocco for the first time
Racing1, the brand name for the newly created Strategic Alliance between Tabcorp, Racecourse Media Group (RMG), 1/ST CONTENT and Arena Racing Company (ARC), has quickly broken new ground in an industry-first deal with SOREC (Société Royale d’Encouragement du Cheval) to import international racing into Morocco across digital and retail channels.
By leveraging Racing1’s truly global distribution network and reach, Moroccan racing fans can now enjoy a best-in-breed racing experience from the comfort of their homes, on the move, or in-store at their local retail outlet. The integration arrives courtesy of Racing1’s four cornerstone partners, who are already providing daily racing from the UK, North America and Australia via SOREC, creating an immediate spike in new revenues, and opening the door to many of the planet’s most prestigious racetracks.
Via the Racing1 brand, 1/ST CONTENT, ARC, RMG and Tabcorp are deploying their collective expertise to deliver targeted, localised solutions (featuring bespoke 24/7 racing video, data and wagering packages, including tote and managed trading services) that appeal to assorted audiences and their respective betting proclivities, whether they’re already familiar with racing, or new to the sport and in need of more educational content.
More broadly, Racing1’s compelling daily timetable of engaging horse racing action from around the world boasts a 24/7 chronology to seamlessly complement any racing or sporting schedule across all time-zones, supplying global partners with a reliable source of fast-settling betting content at varied viewing windows throughout diverse territories.
Racing1 confirmed the announcement at the recent ALA Conference (Association des Lotteries d’Afrique, 1 November) in Marrakesh which drew 12 African delegations, including representatives from national lotteries and government ministries. In a continent where football is king, there is now an emerging opportunity for North and West African operators and their customers to be introduced to more worldwide racing and the flexibility its 24/7 program presents.
Simon Fraser, spokesperson for Racing1, said: “The new Racing1 name symbolises the network of content leaders and right holders that our Strategic Partnership has conveniently coalesced into one all-access 24/7 hub. Transcending international boundaries, Racing1 is untying the tangled worldwide web of racing rights, while simultaneously bringing data-led innovation that dramatically deepens fans’ engagement. Our goal is to improve access and international interest in horse racing at a time when the sport is facing certain regulatory headwinds.
“It’s a great way to help global operators engage new and under-served audiences by delivering 24/7 horse racing. And, in this instance of Morocco, courtesy of our good friends at SOREC, international racing is now both complementing their domestic cards and also being broadcast at peak evening viewing slots. It’s all part of our wider Strategic Alliance promise to return better value to racing’s key stakeholders through more and more international deals.”
Omar Skalli, CEO of SOREC, added: “This partnership with Racing1 is a milestone for Moroccan horse racing fans, offering unprecedented access to the excitement of international horse racing and enriching their understanding of the sport. With daily coverage from top racing regions like the UK, North America and Australia via SOREC networks, our audience can now experience the thrill of the world’s most prestigious racetracks.”
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