Africa
Regulatory mapping: NSoft about Africa’s emerging markets
iGaming: level up your African experience with facts and stats
Africa as the rising star on the iGaming market has been especially interesting when it comes to a real omnichannel experience. NSoft has been interested in the African market given the fact that there is no barrier to overseas investment or operators entering the market provided they respect and adhere to the regulations as with any other jurisdiction.
In recent years, the number of countries has adopted their own regulatory framework is on the rise and regulations are seen to be of crucial importance providing benefits to all stakeholders being involved in the iGaming industry. As a result, the regulatory framework provides a safer environment to operators, suppliers, and consumers enabling progressive opportunities in every aspect of their interest.
NSoft is aware of the benefits the African market provides and this short overview is to draw a big picture of potentials and regulations that Africa offers.
Kenya – a multi-million dollar gambling business
The Kenyans are African leaders when it comes to betting. It is the most betting crazed nation where 70% of punters bet at least once a week. Even their top Google searches, 11 out of top 20, are overwhelmed with betting related keywords. People in Africa mostly bet over mobile phone or web, and that is why they have the highest number of gambling-related mobile usage in Africa. Retail shops are present, but not as in Europe and some other African countries. Kenya is the birthplace of mobile money, a money method mostly used to top-up betting accounts not only in Kenya but also in entire sub-Saharan Africa. Kenyans enjoy betting on sports, especially football, lottery-style games, and casino. Racing games are not as popular as in some other African countries.
The Kenyan gambling laws were established in 1966 with the introduction of the Betting Lotteries and The Gaming Act.Kenya regulates all forms of gambling and started delivering remote gambling licenses in 2011.
Ghana – an opportunity and an example for other countries in Africa
Ghana is, in general, one of the better-developed countries in Africa, and especially when it comes to the betting industry. It is well known that the iGaming market in Ghana offers predominantly the retail-based betting experience having all of the major regional operators present. During the last 5 years, we’ve witnessed internet infrastructure development resulting in a rapid rise of internet users, ranging from 3M users in 2013 to over 10M in 2018 (29.5M population), registering 35% internet penetration. The rise of internet users affected the operators which started to switch from retail-based to web-based business segment. Currently, there are more than 30 licensed legal entities holding the sports betting license. From NSoft’s experience, punters in Ghana prefer sports betting, greyhound racing, ever-popular virtual football, and draw-based games – like our Lucky 6.
ImageRegarding current regulations in force, Ghana’s Betting Industry is regulated by the Gaming Act from 2006. It regulates the most important prerequisites for the gaming and betting industry, license requirements and penalties for non-compliance with bankroll requirements. Nevertheless, it’s important to emphasize that Ghana has very good state control regulatory system. Namely, the Gaming Act prescribes establishment of Gaming Commission that provides legal solutions aimed to contribute to the legal security of Ghana’s betting industry.
Cameroon – the rising star of the betting industry
Cameroon is a country that is up and on a rising path in the betting industry. With the population of 24.5M, the potential is enormous. It is almost completely retail-based due to the lack of proper internet infrastructure. A number of operators have started offering the web channel, but the time for it to generate some significant numbers is yet to come. There are less than 10 active operators, with one or two regional operators present. The most dominant form of betting is sports betting, while virtual sports are present, but way less popular than in other African countries. This might be due to the fact that most of the retail shops are actually street vendor style shops that are cheap to set up and offer exclusively sports betting.
Gambling is legal in Cameroon, but online gambling is not specifically regulated. The current Gambling Act, written in 1989 and modified in 2004, makes no mention of online gambling. Online gambling is largely unregulated but still tolerated by the government.
Lesotho – lack of experience does not necessarily mean lack of knowledge
Lesotho is a small country and lacking development in many aspects and industries. Surprisingly, this is not the case with Lesotho’s betting industry. The betting industry is developed to the extent it easily surpasses some European countries. Sports betting, virtual games, casino games, mobile apps, retail shops – you name it, they have it. The only limitation they have is their population of 2.2M having only three active operators that are slowly reaching their maximum. The most popular form of betting are sports betting and virtual games, especially drawn based game Lucky 6,which is being followed by virtual football league and lottery betting.
Regarding the regulation, Lesotho is similar to Cameroon. Gambling is legal in Lesotho. The government established its first gambling act in 1989. All regulations and supervisions of gambling activities are provided by the central Casino board. Online gambling is not regulated, and there are no laws or regulations being referred to online gambling under Lesotho’s Gambling Regulation Act. Licenses are issued by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning. are valid for periods stipulated on the license and are not transferable within their validity period and the Minister has the power to revoke such licenses. The governing act is overly prescriptive and tedious and may deter participation in business, especially the small scale operators.
Tanzania – taxes triggering the domino-effect of revenue cut
Tanzania, with its population of 59M, is perceived as one of the biggest potentials for the betting industry. The industry is exponentially on the rise in the past 5 years and just between 2014 and 2016 the sports betting revenue grew by 95%. The retail business was already well developed and in 2016 there were more than 2,000 shops and terminals in the country. The Tanzanian government has invested a lot in the internet infrastructure which resulted in having one of the biggest internet user bases in Africa. Similar to Ghana, the industry expanded to the web and piqued the interest from regional and global operators to move onto the market. The business was successful to providers and operators until GBT (Gaming Board of Tanzania) introduced a series of new taxes from 2016 onwards which slowed the rapid development of the industry and cut revenues to all operators. Punters in Tanzania enjoy sports betting, virtual games like horse racing,virtual football and Lucky 6.
Betting in Tanzania is regulated by the Tanzanian Gaming Act. The Act clearly defines the gaming tax and states that without being a holder of gaming license issued under the Gaming Act, any gaming activity is prohibited.
Africa – understanding the dynamics is crucial
To sum up, Africa has been attracting substantial interest from operators keen to diversify their activities away from costly European countries. At this point, Kenya is the leader when taking in consideration the regulations, potential, and gambling related mobile usage. Ghana and Cameroon are perceived as success stories and a reference for the upcoming changes in the region. NSoft seeks for stable legal frameworks and perceives them as a safeguard for substantial investments, whilst, of course, ensuring the player’s interest.
ICE London – a step towards becoming a powerful player on African iGaming market
ICE London turned out to be a great success for NSoft that exhibited on 288m2 with a new booth design. We showcased novelties and received positive feedback from the market stakeholders. NSoft’s sales team has had a significant number of inquiries from African distributors confirming the positive foresight of the market.
If you missed speaking to us during ICE London, contact us at [email protected] or meet us on ICE Africa, 3-4 October 2019. NSoft will be attending Betting on Football Conference,19-22 March 2019, meet us in London or contact our sales team at [email protected].
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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