The Changing Landscape of Sports Betting in Africa
Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun
While sports betting has existed for centuries, the last two decades have seen dramatic changes in the way that people in Africa are engaging with it. With African sports betting turning into a similarly booming industry as it is in parts of Europe, America and Oceania and attracting many more adherents across the continent. There are several key factors in the changing reality of sports betting such as increasing penetration of internet access, growing popularity of different sports and the technological improvements of mobile technology. This article will examine the rise in popularity of sports betting and some factors influencing this rise, which sports Africans tend to find most enjoyable to bet on, the rise in popularity of esports and what the future might hold for sports betting in Africa.
The rising popularity of sports betting
As we mentioned in the preamble, the popularity of sports betting as a pastime activity has increased astronomically across the African continent, popular platforms see millions of bettors on a weekly basis. This trend is not isolated to one particular country or area of Africa, but it is spread across all of Africa. Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Ghana in particular have become hotspots for sports bets enthusiasts, with betting companies creating platforms tailored specifically to those regions. For modern audiences, it seems that the popularity of sports betting can in part be attributed to the increase in accessibility that the pastime enjoys, its ability to make watching a sport more enjoyable, and of course the possibility of financial windfall.
One of the most important factors in the meteoric rise of sports betting has to be the widespread availability of relatively cheap smartphones. The African mobile market boom coupled with the rise in trustworthy digital payment methods has created the perfect storm for people to enjoy sports betting in a risk-free, fast and convenient way.
Popular sports for betting
The most popular sport for sports bettors in Africa is easily football. Many of the big leagues such as the English Premier League, Serie A and La Liga have large followings of fanatical fans that also enjoy wagering on match outcomes. While the most popular type of bet is less easy to divine, bet types such as match outcomes, goal scorers and other events that are likely, or unlikely, to occur during a match are all popular.
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When it comes to other sports, just about any sport you could name has a home in the sports betting world in Africa. Typically if a sport is watched often in a region, it is also bet on in that region in equal frequency. For instance, South Africa has a fairly large rugby following, which means that they watch, and bet, more on rugby than other African regions.
The rise of esports in Africa
An exciting development that has started to become popular with sports betting platforms the world over is the rise of esports. Esports is essentially competitive video gaming and has become increasingly popular over the last two decades both as an entertainment option in its own right and as an avenue for sports betting. Esports betting is most popular with younger audiences who understand the complicated nature of the games that make up its more popular branches.
Alongside esports viewership and betting, esports tournaments are also becoming more common across Africa, which is giving local players the opportunity to make a name for themselves and to vie for prizes. As the esports scene in Africa continues to develop it would seem reasonable to assume that it would take its place alongside other sports and therefore in areas where it is popular, we can expect to see equal levels of betting on esports.
The future of sports betting in Africa
For the sports betting industry in Africa, things are looking good. Growth across various markets continues to accelerate and new markets seem to be in the offing with the rise of esports. However, this means that regulations and laws need to keep pace with the increasingly advancing betting industry. The more people that engage in sports betting as a pastime the more important it is that governments and industry stakeholders work hard to make sure that those people are safe and that sports betting continues to be handled fairly and transparently.
To conclude, the evolving landscape of sports betting in Africa is largely driven by technological advancements. While some areas may see unexpected popularity for betting in certain sports, a good rule of thumb is that in regions where a sport is popular either to play or watch, then betting on that sport will also be popular. There are many opportunities for Africa as the sports betting industry continues to evolve and mature on the continent and with careful regulatory shepherding sports betting could easily become a part of Africa’s entertainment and sports culture.
