Gambling Problems in Africa

Gambling problems in Africa – finding and fixing potential holes exploited by bad casino operators causing addiction

There are gambling problems Africa. In countries such as Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau and Burundi, gambling is illegal as this goes against the countries religious Islamic beliefs.

On the other hand, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is an absence of a  Gaming Authority or another special body regulating gaming, instead, the Government itself is in charge of regulation. However, this doesn’t mean that gaming there is not regulated. 

The steady growth of the gambling industry in Africa has helped boost its economy and tourism as a whole, with citing taxation and employment opportunities as its main benefits. Nonetheless, the rise of the gambling industry subsequently arises gambling addiction concerns commonly among millennials in Africa.

Gambling addiction, is presumably a worldwide hurdle and is inevitable as one can easily bet online with the use of mobile technology regardless of the country one resides at. This is coined by researchers as “closet gambling” where no one knows where one is playing at all. 

Kenya remains the third largest online betting market in Africa, behind South Africa and Nigeria culminating the expansion of mobile payments and digital applications in the country.  East Africa is no. 1 in the global market, which is mainly due to  Kenya  where mobile money subscriptions rose to 29.1 million by the end of March.  

Samuel from E-Play Africa cited the reasons for African nationals’ motivation for gambling – which over 70% of young players said the reason behind this is money, and the remaining due to peer pressure or being born in family of gamblers. In Kenya, 78% of university students fall in to the trap of gambling, and at least five gambling-related suicides were committed in Kenya in the past few years. 

E-play Africa spoke with CasinoGuru, an expert in the online casino industry, and offered to share their insights on gambling problems in Africa. “African countries struggling with problem gambling should start by having their governments over their gambling regulation, finding and fixing any potential holes that can be exploited by bad casino operators. All the while, they should issue and prolong the gambling licenses of operators who provably run their business legally and responsibly.” “Lastly, it’s important to educate the players themselves, as well as the community in general. Gamblers need to understand the risks they take by gambling and be aware that there is help out there, should they need it. Moral guardians like teachers and parents should also be familiar with the signs of problem gambling, so they can notice them and step in before it is too late.” Samuel said, South Africa’s National Programme has been researching local gambling addiction problems and has been working hand in hand with government to improve gambling laws, as well as safety nets for addicted players.

About SiGMA Africa:

SiGMA is heading to Africa in 2022! With a record for attracting an audience from over 80 countries, SiGMA has the potential to set the stage with a global guest list of some of the best operators, suppliers, affiliates, regulators, and thought leaders in the gaming sector – bringing high-end innovation to the African gambling industry and driving sustainable growth throughout its nations.