Latest News
East Africa’s iGaming Industry A Prime Opportunity For Growth And Expansion
East Africa is one of the regions in Africa that is garnering the most attraction when it comes to the betting and gambling industry. We meet Alessandro Pizzolotto, STM Gaming’s CEO and Certified Partner of BtoBet in Africa what he thinks about the subject and how the region could further evolve in the short to medium term.
Is it your opinion that sports betting is more rampant in Eastern Africa? Why?
There is no doubt that the popularity of sports betting in the whole of Africa derives from the huge popularity of sports across the entire continent. The popularity of sports, especially football, has been further highlighted in recent years with the huge success of African players in major European leagues. One could make reference to Napoli’s strong Senegalese centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, Arsenal’s Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, amongst many others.
Nonetheless with numbers at hand, a report published by Dublin based research firm “Research and Report” clearly indicates that the iGaming industry in the Sub-Saharan region is seeing an increase in the number of millenials who make use of mobile phones to place bets. The report states that the eastern region in Africa, with Kenya and Uganda as the primary examples, is at the forefront of the continent’s gambling market.
How did weak laws and regulations offer the perfect environment for the growth of gambling in Eastern Africa?
I wouldn’t state that East African markets are afflicted by weak regulations. The M-Pesa and SMS payments conundrum that resulted in Kenya last year was in effect a demonstration that local regulations do work, and in blocking these vital payment systems to the country’s largest operators the Kenyan government was effectively cutting the operators from millions of customers.
Whilst one can argue to great length regarding the escalating enforcement measures that were introduced by the government, this does not in itself demonstrate a weak regulatory framework that would benefit black or grey markets.
Does East Africa have more nations that participate in sports betting than any other African region?
To understand why the iGaming industry has registered stronger growth in Eastern Africa than in other regions one has to understand the payment gateways and services available, which are fundamental to the industry. East Africa is undoubtedly at the forefront of the entire continent when it comes to payment gateways, especially mobile money. It is a known fact that from a financial inclusion perspective Africa is still lagging behind more established markets, such as Europe.
Yet when it comes to East Africa, the region – with countries such as Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda – is a global leader in regards to the highest per capita registered and active mobile money accounts, and volume of mobile money. The region has the fastest growth in mobile money accounts and in each country the number of mobile money accounts surpassed the number of bank accounts.
The phenomenon of mobile money has been ongoing in the East African region since 2007. The roots of mobile money lie in Kenya with the launch of M-Pesa by Vodacom . With the lack of financial infrastructure in the region and the cost of mobile phones dropping rapidly in that same period, mobile money spread quickly through the rest of East Africa.
If one were to compare two leading markets in Africa – Kenya from the East African region and Nigeria from its Western counterpart – one would find huge discrepancies from this perspective. Whilst in Kenya 56% of the population aged over 15 years have an account with a financial institution, on the other hand 73% report having a mobile money account. At the same time the situation cannot be more different in Nigeria, with 39% of the population having an account with a financial institution and only 5.6% having a mobile money account. This obviously has a very strong impact on the iGaming industry.
Nonetheless this situation is set to change in the short to medium term, especially with the continuous expansion of companies such as MTN Africa and Airtel Africa across the whole continent. Such an expansion will pave the way for a true pan-African payment gateway facilitating money transfers, deposits and withdrawals when it comes to the regional iGaming industry.
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: East Africa’s iGaming Industry A Prime Opportunity For Growth And Expansion
Latest News
GGPoker Unveils $24M End Of Year Giveaway – Celebrate December with Over $24 Million in Prizes!
December 1 through 31 – GGPoker to say #Thanks2024 with ticket drops, daily rewards and more
GGPoker, the World’s Biggest Poker Room, is excited to announce its $24M End of Year Giveaway, an extraordinary month-long festival running from December 1 to December 31, 2024. Packed with giveaways, tournaments, and rewards, the promotion is designed to delight players of all levels and close out the year in style.
The $24M prize pool includes the following highlights:
- $1M Paradise Online Ticket Drops: Randomly distributed tournament tickets during the upcoming WSOP Paradise Online series
- $12M 12 Days of Christmas Gift Boxes: Daily rewards for players logging in from December 15 to December 26
- $1M End of Year #Thanks2024 Flipout Tournament: A fast-paced, unique event running December 27 to December 31
- $10M December Cash Game Giveaway: Monthly leaderboards and promotions across GGPoker’s popular poker variants, plus $2.5M in GGCare & GGCheers rewards and $1M in bonuses for new players joining GGPoker in December
$1M Paradise Online Ticket Drops
Players participating in WSOP Paradise Online tournaments – running December 1 through December 15 – will automatically get a shot at winning one of $1M worth of tournament tickets, which will be dropped randomly as each event plays out. These tickets can be used to access some of the most exciting tournaments in the WSOP Paradise Online series, offering a shot at major prize pools.
$12M 12 Days of Christmas Gift Boxes
From December 15 to December 26, every player who logs in will receive a daily Christmas Gift Box. These festive surprises include:
- C$ Rewards
- Tournament Tickets
- Daily $100K Freeroll Tickets
- Sit & Go Tickets
- Snow Splash Items
Unwrapping a new surprise every day ensures that the holiday season is both fun and rewarding for GGPoker players.
$1M End of Year #Thanks2024 Flipout Tournament
To wrap up the year, GGPoker will host its #Thanks2024 Flipout Tournament, running from December 27 to December 31 and open to all GGCheers and GGCares qualifiers during this time. This fast-paced, unique format automatically pushes every player all-in each hand, creating an adrenaline-fueled path to big prizes. Qualifying is simple, and the players that make it through to Stage 3 will share in a $1M prize pool.
$10M December Cash Game Giveaway and more!
GGPoker’s popular monthly leaderboards will distribute $6.5M in prizes across multiple game variants, including:
- Rush & Cash
- Omaha
- All-In or Fold
- Short Deck Poker
Another $2.5M will be awarded through the long-running GGCare & GGCheers promotions, which reward players for bad beats, coolers, and lucky moments alike. Additionally, new players joining in December can claim up to $1M in bonuses, including welcome packages and daily freerolls.
“2024 has been an incredible year, and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than by giving back to our players,” said Sarne Lightman, Managing Director of GGPoker. “With over $24M in prizes, including tournament tickets, cash giveaways, and festive rewards, the End of Year Giveaway ensures that every player, whether they’re seasoned grinders or just starting out, has the chance to finish the year on a high note. It’s our way of saying thank you and welcoming even more players to the GGPoker family!”
For full details about the $24M End of Year Giveaway, including terms and conditions, please visit: ggpoker.com/promotions/2024-end-of-year-giveaway/
The post GGPoker Unveils $24M End Of Year Giveaway – Celebrate December with Over $24 Million in Prizes! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
GIANTX announces its Valorant team for 2025
Westside, Runner, and Tomaszy join Purp0 and Cloud to aim for a return to the top of one of the most prestigious international esports competitions
The global esports organization GIANTX has unveiled its new Valorant team for the 2025 Valorant Champions Tour (VCT). The primary goal is to qualify for the Valorant Champions, the world championship that will take place in Paris, after an uneven 2024 season.
The roster includes Cloud, Purp0, Westside, Runner, and Tomaszy. Cloud and Purp0 remain with the organization, while Westside, Runner, and Tomaszy are new additions.
- Cloud will take on the role of in-game leader (IGL).
- Purp0 will continue to bring his ability to perform in key situations.
- Westside joins from Diamant Esports and makes his debut at the highest level.
- Runner, previously with Team Vitality, played in the 2024 world championship.
- Tomaszy, formerly of Rebels Gaming and Karmine Corp, also joins the project.
The coaching staff will be led by Pipson, with Waylander as assistant coach. Both bring extensive experience from the competitive scenes of Valorant and Counter-Strike.
The EMEA region will feature 12 teams in the 2025 VCT:
- GIANTX,
- Fnatic,
- Natus Vincere,
- Team Liquid,
- KOI,
- Team Heretics,
- Apeks,
- BBL Esports,
- FUT Esports,
- Gentle Mates,
- Karmine Corp,
- and Team Vitality.
The official competition kicks off in January with the Kickoff Tournament, where teams will compete for a spot at the first international event of the year: Masters Bangkok.
This weekend, GIANTX will participate in the preseason tournament Intel Monsters Reloaded 2024 in Istanbul.
Their first opponent will be Team Liquid on Saturday at 6:00 PM. If they win, they will face the winner of the match between BBL Esports and SuperMassive in the final.
The post GIANTX announces its Valorant team for 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Sportradar Launches Gen AI Audio Advertising for Sportsbook and Casino Operators
Sportradar announced the launch of generative AI (gen AI) audio, a new feature within its ad:s multi-channel marketing service. The tool leverages the power of gen AI integrated with Sportradar’s live data, to automate the creation of personalized, real-time audio adverts for sportsbook and casino operators across one of the fastest growing digital marketing channels globally.
Ad:s gen AI audio provides operators with a ready-to-use audio marketing solution, allowing them to generate creative content during key sporting and gaming moments to efficiently scale advertising efforts into podcast streaming services and internet radio networks. Sportradar’s industry-leading technology automatically creates customised and dynamic adverts – featuring live-data to update odds, jackpots, and upcoming events— to increase brand awareness, uplift purchase intent and increase the likelihood of customer acquisition.
AI-generated audio adverts are the latest addition to Sportradar’s comprehensive, industry-leading, end-to-end marketing services, driving brand awareness, acquisition and retention across channels including programmatic display, video, audio, digital-out-of-home (DOOH), paid social media, paid search, sponsorships and affiliate marketing.
Niki Beier, SVP Marketing Services, said: “Sports fans and bettors are increasingly consuming audio content, with listenership increasing by over 1000% in the past seven years1. To deliver maximum marketing efficiency, we’re providing a sophisticated yet simple-to-use solution to sportsbook and casino operators. Through our gen AI technology, we’re making it easy for clients to integrate audio adverts into their acquisition and branding campaigns, to reach more customers with real-time relevant audio messages, without the need for creative teams or a high production budget.”
The post Sportradar Launches Gen AI Audio Advertising for Sportsbook and Casino Operators appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Latest News2 months ago
BlueOcean Gaming Wins Best Aggregator 2024 Award at SiGMA East Europe Awards
-
Latest News2 months ago
EGT’s bestseller Bell Link with another great success: Its bells are now ringing in the Czech market
-
Latest News2 months ago
BOS/The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling commissions Advisense to strengthen efforts against money laundering
-
Latest News2 months ago
MIRACL partners with Continent 8 to offer its single-step passwordless MFA solution to simplify the login experience
-
Latest News2 months ago
Applications invited to become safer gambling charity for 2025 editions of ICE, iGB Affiliate and iGB L!VE
-
Latest News2 months ago
ACR Poker’s OSS XL Exceeds Guarantee With Over $46 Million In Prize Pools
-
Latest News2 months ago
Match of LeGGends: Double Down. Highlights of the show match between NAVI and Team Vitality
-
Latest News2 months ago
FBMDS and FBM Foundation host solidarity keepy-uppy initiative at G2E Las Vegas 2024
You must be logged in to post a comment Login