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Outlook on Africa’s Gaming Industry 2020-2025 – Mobile Gaming Will Hold a Major Market Share

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The “Africa Gaming Market – Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2020-2025)” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

The gaming industry is expected to register a CAGR of 12% during the forecast period (2020-2025). The most recent trend is the growing availability and popularity of multi-functional gaming console, which is emerging in the market and helping in growing the market of video games in the region.

Africa is the only region in the world where the youth population is increasing. By 2050 Africa’s young people, i.e., those aged between 0 and 24 years old, will increase by nearly 50 percent. Africa will have the most significant number of young people. Africa’s youth are critical to the continent’s future when it comes to mobile and gaming as a whole.

African studios are making new inroads by launching original locally produced content on Netflix. Several local content productions have been nominated for several global awards, including the Oscars. The Annecy Festival in 2020 will be focusing on animation from Africa. In addition to this, government initiatives in the region are adopting gaming solutions for educational purposes. Developments such as these will provide opportunities for the gaming industry in the area.

During the lockdown, the Entertainment streaming and gaming industries are thriving. The global suspension or cancellation of most sporting events has left punters without live games to bet on, aside from re-runs of filmed matches. The knock-on effect is that sports betting, which accounts for most of the industry’s revenue, has crashed to almost nil.

While the traditional gambling industry is facing unparalleled losses, online gambling sites have reported a surge in activity since the national lockdown came into effect on 27 March 2020. While online casinos worldwide have reported a sharp increase in gambling, as lockdown periods are extended, and financial stresses intensify, people may become increasingly hesitant to spend money on non-essential pastimes, such as gambling.

Key Market Trends

Mobile Gaming Segment Expected to Have Major Market Share

  • Mobile gaming generates close to half of the revenue that the gaming industry gets annually. More than 200 million Africans are below 35 years, and this figure might double in a decade. Africa has a huge market for gaming and smartphone companies.
  • Mobile gaming is gaining popularity in remote parts of Africa. For example, more than 290 million people in North Africa use mobile phones. The mobile market in the region generates $90 billion annually.
  • One of the major drivers for the growth of mobile gaming is the potential to spawn a massive real-money gaming industry around the continent. Mobile tech spreads around the continent, large swaths of Africa are also paving the way for legal betting and gaming.
  • However, acceleration in network rollouts by mobile operators in Sub-Saharan Africa has been a vital driver of the reduction in the coverage gap. Infrastructure deployment in Sub-Saharan Africa increased 3G coverage from 63% in 2017 to 70% in 2018, extending access to more than 80 million people. 3.3 billion people live in areas covered by mobile broadband networks but do not use mobile internet – this usage gap’ is more than four times greater than the coverage gap. Such factors might harm gaming companies operating in the region.

Issues Such as Piracy, Laws & Regulations, and Concerns Relating to Fraud During Gaming Transactions will Impact the Growth of the Market

  • Most African countries have gaming commissions and laws that regulate gambling. South Africa has clear gaming laws and regulations. It was the first country to create gambling regulation in the continent. Also, online casinos are popular in the country.
  • In South Africa, several legislative attempts to further restrict online gambling and payment transactions of unlicensed operators have been postponed in recent years. However, some legislators and regulators at the provincial level have called for a less restrictive regime.
  • There is currently an ongoing political and religious debate on the perceived high number of minors accessing gambling. As a result, in May 2019, the minister of finance urged the National Gaming Board (NGB) to stop issuing gaming and betting licenses immediately. The government restricted gambling advertising as of January 2019. Additional measures to ensure responsible gambling and revenue collection to the state budget are on the list.
  • A new advocacy organization designed to collaborate, coordinate, partner, build and sustain the growth of esports on the continent has been formed. ESFA or The Esports Federation of Africa is established by a community of both private esports entities, and national federations. WESCO affiliates it. With the launch of the ESFA, African gamers now have a voice, an advocate, an organization with grassroots developments of players at its core. These will provide better opportunities and therefore strengthen the local market in the region.

Competitive Landscape

The gaming market is fragmented as the demand for online games, and increasing penetration of mobile applications across the region will help attract new players in this market over the next few years. Recent developments in the market are:

  • In May 2020, Sony announced new PlayStation Studios branding for its first-party PS5 games. Sony will be using the new PlayStation Studios brand for its first-party exclusives going forward as a way to let customers know that a game comes from one of Sony’s in-house development teams.
  • In August 2019, Konami Digital Entertainment BV announced that the mobile version of e-Football PES 2020 would be released in October, and it represents a complete overhaul of the current PES 2019 mobile game. The latest major update to the PES Mobile series, which celebrated over 200 million downloads earlier this year, brings many of the critical features and licenses already announced for e-Football PES 2020 on PC and console.
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MulaSport launches Kiron’s data-lite Soccer Game across 5 countries in Africa

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MulaSport launches Kiron’s data-lite Soccer Game across 5 countries in Africa.  

Kiron has rolled out Mula League on MulaSport, bringing a data-lite virtual football format to one of Africa’s leading sportsbook operators. Mula League delivers the excitement of league soccer in a lightweight design that fits seamlessly into digital platforms and uses very little data.

Mula League captures the feel of real league soccer in a fast, three-minute match format with full season play and familiar betting markets. Its data-lite design ensures quick, reliable access for players and its easy integration has made it perfect for MulaSport.

Steven Spartinos, Co-CEO of Kiron, said: “This launch with MulaSport underlines how virtual football can be both innovative and accessible. Mula League delivers the full league experience in a data-lite format that is scalable for operators and engaging for players.

Desiree Scott, Group Head of Corporate Affairs at MulaSport, said: “Bringing Kiron’s game onto our site strengthens our sportsbook with content that is quick to access and easy to enjoy. The format fits seamlessly into the way our players engage with football, while reflecting our commitment to quality, choice, and responsibility.”

Mula League is now live on the MulaSport platform.

The post MulaSport launches Kiron’s data-lite Soccer Game across 5 countries in Africa appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Ghana’s NLA Introduces New Sticker to Clamp Down on Illegal Lotto Operators

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The fight against illegal lotto operations in Ghana continues unabated with a major push led by the Director-General and Management of the National Lottery Authority (NLA).

On August 26, the Authority organised a press conference at Brennan Hall to re-emphasise the ongoing registration exercise for Lotto Writers under registered Private Lotto Operators, a process initially launched on September 18, 2024, under the previous leadership.

As part of the initiative, unique identification stickers are being introduced for all Writers and Agents of Private Lotto Operators (PLOs). This measure is expected to reduce illegal activities in the industry and significantly boost the Authority’s revenue.

Addressing the press, the Director-General, Mr. Mohammed Abdul-Salam, noted the growing difficulty distinguishing legitimate writers from illegal ones. He explained that the introduction of the new sticker system would firmly establish the Authority’s regulatory role. Supported by the Operations and Compliance teams, this initiative will be enforced from September 1, 2025, to clamp down on unlicensed operators.

The Executive Secretary of the Concerned Lotto Agents and Writers Association (CLAAG), Mr. Kwaku Duah, welcomed the development, stressing that it was time for Registered Operators to benefit from the fees they had paid. He further cautioned that any Agent or Writer who fails to comply with the new regulations would not receive their support when caught by the law.

The sticker will display the Agent or Writer’s name, location, phone number and payment details, among other information. A QR code generated upon payment will allow the compliance team to easily verify duly licensed operators during their visits.

Mr. Andrew Tuah, Head of Operations, added that the registration fee of GHC 250 for Lotto Writers was to be renewed annually. In addition to the sticker’s robust security features, which cannot be duplicated, he announced a nationwide sensitisation exercise for the Lotto Writers to familiarise themselves with this app.

The press conference was also attended by the Deputy Director-General, Mr. Eric Yeboah Wadie, the Public Relations Officer of CLAAG, Mr. David Agbeviadeh, members of the Executive Management, Management and Staff of the Authority.

The post Ghana’s NLA Introduces New Sticker to Clamp Down on Illegal Lotto Operators appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Rise & Hustle partners with Altenar to power its new sportsbook offering

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Next-gen operator launches sport betting with award-winning platform provider

Rise & Hustle, Africa’s next-gen tap-to-earn gaming operator, has launched sports betting within its street game platform through a new partnership with leading sportsbook platform provider Altenar.

As part of the deal, Altenar is delivering thousands of daily pre-match events and live in-play betting with fast markets and cash out, alongside extensive esports coverage and a full range of traditional sports to Rise & Hustle’s players in Nigeria.

Popular sports such as football and the English Premier League will form the foundation, complemented by comprehensive coverage of local competitions to satisfy regional betting interests. Players will benefit from being able to use local currency (Naira), ensuring a familiar end-to-end experience.

The agreement sees Rise & Hustle’s users benefit from personalised bet recommendations, and seamless wallet integration across casino, free-to-play and sportsbook. An optimised UI/UX with intuitive navigation across both mobile and desktop simplifies the betting process, while the free-to-play element awards players with free bets to drive engagement and retain loyalty.

Altenar’s customisable, mobile-first front end aligns seamlessly with Rise & Hustle’s brand, while its advanced risk management tools protect profitability and fraud prevention. Operators can now benefit from real-time, competitively priced odds and 24/7 access to Altenar’s trading team, highlighting its commitment to customer care.

The partnership follows a strong year for Altenar on the African continent, after it gained its South Africa licence back in December 2024 and appointed Brendon Jeacocks as Regional Director.

Tassos Theocharidis, Senior Sales Executive at Altenar, said: “We’re delighted to team up with Rise & Hustle to deliver a new sports betting experience to its players. We firmly believe in the operator’s potential in the fiercely competitive Nigerian market.

“We look forward to enhancing their existing offering with the addition of our award-winning sports betting technology.”

Josh Jones, CEO & Co-Founder of Rise & Hustle, commented: “Our collaboration with Altenar enables us to deliver a world-class betting experience tailored to Nigerian players’ interests.

“The onboarding process and speed-to-market were two key factors in choosing Altenar and rolling out a sportsbook solution will help us attract demographics as we evolve our business.”

The post Rise & Hustle partners with Altenar to power its new sportsbook offering appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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