Africa’s betting market is expanding at speed, with South Africa accounting for an estimated 80% of the continent’s gambling revenue.

Growth of roughly 33% a year is being driven by online betting, which now represents around 70% of total revenues as smartphone adoption reshapes access to gambling products.

The scale of this shift was outlined in a recent report from Bloomberg Television, Africa’s Gambling Boom: Investment, Risk and Regulation. The programme highlighted how mobile penetration has lowered barriers to entry, enabling rapid market scaling in contrast to slower-growth, heavily regulated jurisdictions.

Bloomberg‘s Senior Africa Reporter, Loni Prinsloo, said access is the defining factor behind South Africa’s dominance.

She said: “We’ve seen breakneck growth in the gambling industry in Africa, specifically South Africa, which makes up about 80% of gambling revenues on the continent. If you have a mobile phone in your pocket, you effectively have the casino in your pocket.”

Despite the growth, Africa remains a selective opportunity for global operators. Ed Birkin, Managing Director at H2 Gambling Capital, noted that regulatory uncertainty continues to deter many major brands.

“There’s still a lot of big global operators who won’t touch it. They find it too messy and too uncertain,” Birkin added. “But groups like Super Group, through 888 Africa, have moved in, albeit across only a very small number of countries.”

Birkin added that long-term projections remain strong despite these constraints. “Based on what we know with the current regulations, we think you can get to about $15bn by 2030. Over the next five years, we forecast growth of another 50% or so.”

However, the rapid expansion is intensifying concerns around social impact and regulatory capacity. Weldon Koros, Regulatory Affairs Director at the Association of Gaming Regulators in Africa, warned that support systems have not kept pace, particularly in East Africa.

He noted: “The problem we are facing in Africa, and more specifically Kenya, is the lack of support systems, especially when it comes to sports betting.”

Koros highlighted a fundamental difference in player motivation compared to mature markets. “People in Africa place bets to be able to put food on the table. Unlike in the UK and other advanced countries, gambling is sometimes used as a way to sustain life, which was never the real intention.”

In response, regulators are pushing for greater coordination. Koros confirmed that efforts are underway to harmonise rules across major jurisdictions. “We have commenced the process of harmonising regulations so operators in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and other countries face the same requirements,” Koros stated, adding that aligned standards would strengthen compliance and consumer protection across borders.