Africa is widely regarded as the next frontier for the online gambling industry, yet this continent is far from a newcomer. While Brazil and other Latin American markets are still expanding, Super Group's Betway had already entered Africa in the early 2000s. Two decades later, with the widespread adoption of mobile internet among young male demographics, veteran operators who established themselves early in core markets like South Africa and Nigeria are reaping significant first-mover advantages. However, Africa is not monolithic—PASA's official website has gleaned from exclusive interviews with several industry executives and regulatory officials that the four largest gambling markets, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana, are each following distinctly different growth trajectories.
South Africa: $5.2 billion in volume, truly the king of Africa
On a global scale, South Africa's gambling sector is not small. According to H2 Gambling Capital, by 2025, South Africa's total gambling revenue is expected to reach **$5.2 billion (approximately £3.9 billion)**, nearly five times that of Nigeria, the second largest in Africa at **$1.6 billion**. It ranks 22nd globally, just behind Romania's $5.56 billion. The online segment contributes **$633.26 million**, with H2 projecting that the online scale will approach **$5.9 billion** by 2030.
In terms of competitive landscape, Super Group's Betway Africa and HollywoodBets are vying for the top spot in the online market share. Super Group CFO Arlinda van Wyk revealed that South Africa is "far ahead" of the group's other markets in Africa. In Q1 2026, Betway Africa's revenue reached **$267 million, a 33% increase year-over-year. Football accounts for 94%** of the revenue in Africa, with Betway deeply integrating its brand with football through sponsorships with Premier League teams Manchester City and Arsenal. Van Wyk described this strategy vividly: "People watching football in the UK see Betway, and it's the same in Ghana and South Africa—isn't this the best way to build brand assets?"
New players are also knocking on the door. In March this year, Virgin Bet officially launched its online business in South Africa as its first overseas market outside the UK. LiveScore Group's Virgin Bet South Africa General Manager Gail Ojes said that the key reason for choosing South Africa was the existing recognition and trust in the Virgin brand locally, supported by a "clear and mature regulatory framework." South Africa's National Gambling Board CEO Lungile Dukwana explained another advantage of South Africa's regulation: although each of the nine provinces has its own licensing authority, they must align with the unified framework of the 2004 National Gambling Act, "the provinces issue licenses, we supervise, and collaboration is key."
Nigeria: Millions of young people reach legal gambling age each year, mixed with challenges
Nigeria ranks second in Africa with **$1.6 billion** in revenue, with over a million people crossing the legal gambling age threshold of 18 each year, making its population structure a growth engine. However, policy fluctuations make this market full of uncertainties. In 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that the National Lottery Act was invalid, allowing states to independently regulate lotteries and gambling; last December, President Tinubu vetoed the Central Gambling Bill that attempted to re-centralize regulation at the national commission level.
However, Bashir Are, CEO of the Lagos State Lottery and Gaming Authority and Chairman of the Association of Nigerian State Gaming Regulators, believes that the power tug-of-war is subsiding, with the current priority being to combat illegal gambling. "It's too difficult to track down illegal platforms operating outside your jurisdiction, so we are working with regulatory partners outside Nigeria to conduct joint enforcement." Are also offered advice worth considering for other African regulatory bodies: "Your policies must attract and support businesses, and taxes and regulations should be fair—these businesses need to grow and make money, don't strangle them before they mature."
Super Group has not yet made it into the top three in Nigeria, but Van Wyk insists they are "steadily advancing towards the top three market shares." A key adjustment is product localization: Nigerian streets are filled with small betting kiosks, which Betway had not previously tapped into. "We are changing processes to meet Nigeria's specific needs."
Kenya and Ghana: One relies on payments, the other on stability
If any African country is leading the global mobile gambling experience, it's Kenya. The mobile payment platform M-Pesa covers about 90% of Kenya's mobile money market, with H2 Gambling Capital estimating that 70% to 90% of online gambling payments are made through M-Pesa. Moreover, M-Pesa is only open to licensed operators—a nearly natural barrier against illegal platforms. John Mutua, CEO of the Kenya Gaming Operators Association, hit the nail on the head: "M-Pesa has solved a payment problem that developed countries could only solve through credit cards and bank accounts, but it did it faster and covers a wider population."
The policy side is also stabilizing. The 2025 Gambling Management Act introduced a new gambling regulatory authority and a three-year licensing system. Mutua called it "the kind of structural foundation the industry has long needed." The stability even re-attracted operators who had previously withdrawn—Van Wyk revealed that Betway is seriously considering returning to Kenya, "Now that the situation has stabilized, we see a path to profitability."
Ghana, on the other hand, is quietly closing the gap with the "big three." By 2025, Ghana's online gambling revenue is expected to reach **$903.5 million**. In February this year, Kaizen Gaming's Betano brand made a high-profile entry, betting on Ghana's "strong digital penetration and forward-looking regulatory framework" for long-term growth potential. Peter Kessitilwe, CEO of the African iGaming Alliance, commented that Ghana has developed into one of the most stable and commercially attractive markets in West Africa, "Political stability is key to attracting investors, and more and more operators are viewing Ghana as an important strategic growth market in the region."
Don't treat Africa as one country
From Virgin Bet in South Africa emphasizing "never simply replicate the UK experience," to Super Group filling terminal kiosk channels in Nigeria, to Betika leveraging M-Pesa to complete the payment loop in Kenya—a repeatedly validated conclusion runs through all successful cases: Africa is not a market where one solution fits all. As Ojes said, "The continent's subtle differences are very specific, and copy-pasting doesn't work." Olabinpe Akinbinu, a board member of the African iGaming Alliance and responsible gambling officer at PawaTech, offered another policy-related reminder: The withholding tax imposed on players is spreading across Africa, and this cost is precisely what illegal platforms can most easily evade. "We are pushing players towards the black market because the tax system is increasingly unfair to licensed operators."
PASA's official website believes that by 2025, the combined gambling revenue of Africa's four leading markets will be on par with the Netherlands, Taiwan, and Mexico in the global rankings, while the gradual maturation of regulation and the strengthening of industry collaboration are further enhancing the accessibility of these markets. For operators willing to take the time to understand local nuances, rather than parachuting in with a standard template, Africa's rapidly expanding digital economy remains one of the most worthwhile long-term growth narratives in the global gambling industry.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders," a gambling industry news channel: https://t.me/pasa_news
Original deep gambling channel: https://t.me/gamblingdeep
Free data reports: @pasa_research
PASA Matrix: @pasa002_bot
PASA official website: https://www.pasa.news
