Business
AFRICA’S booming gaming sector is rapidly reshaping entertainment across the continent, driven largely by its young population and the shift to digital platforms, according to stakeholders.
Millions of young people log onto betting apps daily, searching for thrilling entertainment in an increasingly digital world.
However, behind the bright screens and flashing odds lie real families, where unchecked habits can silently transform lighthearted fun into overwhelming financial and mental health strain.
To mitigate the impact in Africa, the African iGaming Alliance (AiA) has inaugurated the first Africa Safer Gambling Week to promote player protection and responsible gambling across the continent.
The initiative starting from Monday, Sept. 7 to Friday, Sept. 11 will bring together gambling regulators, industry associations, and other stakeholders.
Safer Gambling Week, an event to be held annually under the #PlaySafeAfrica Campaign, shines a necessary light on protecting players, ensuring betting remains pure leisure rather than a desperate pursuit of wealth.
Olabimpe Akingba, Board Representative for the Africa iGaming Alliance and Head of Responsible Gaming at PawaTech, said the industry had expanded significantly with the rise of online technology.
Gaming, she noted, had become “an industry that’s grown to the online space, moving at a rapid pace, and of course attracting more the youth populace.
“Africa’s demographic profile makes it a key market. Africa is a huge market for the industry as well, knowing that the youth population is also growing rapidly,” Akingba explained.
However, she stressed that responsible gaming must remain central to this growth.
“Responsible gaming is knowing that gaming is what should be done for fun. It is for fun, not for fortune,” she said, adding in pidgin, “no do pass yourself.”
Players, she argued, should treat gambling like buying a fizzy drink: money spent with no expectation of return.
“You cannot be wealthy through gambling.
“It cannot be what you are planning on as a means of sustenance or as a means of getting wealth,’’ she emphasised.
Akingba also raised concerns on “operators operating within African jurisdictions that are completely not licensed,” often outside the continent, making it “hard to protect any customer playing with those kind of people.”
The Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Lottery and Gaming Authority, Bashir Are, reiterated that gaming was entertainment, not a source of income.
“Gaming is absolutely nothing more than entertainment. It is not a source of income,” Are said.
He likened regulated gaming to global leisure destinations such as Las Vegas, Sun City in South Africa, and Macao, saying it should provide only excitement and an adrenaline rush.
“You are supporting a team and your adrenaline is moving, everybody is having fun. It shouldn’t be more than that,” he said.
Are highlighted the social impact and revenue utilisation framework of the authority, explaining that proceeds are treated as an intervention fund to correct societal vices associated with gambling, rather than conventional government income.
He said the authority supported the Lagos State Sport Trust Fund for sports development, the Lagos State Security Trust Fund for security initiatives and neighbourhood safety programmes.
According to him, it also funds school renovations and primary healthcare centres.
“In the last three months, we have paid for health insurance for at least 1,000 Lagos residents – one‑year healthcare policy where they can go to any hospital beyond general to seek help,” he said.
On Pan‑African regulatory challenges, Are noted that the rapid expansion of online and broadband services, combined with Africa’s large youth population, had exposed the continent to foreign and illegal operators.
“We are seeing influx of foreign operators and illegal operators across the continent.
“We all have the same issues, so that’s why we’re coming together so that we’ll be one voice, one continent, and one community,” he said.
He stressed the need for public awareness, saying teams had been deployed across the three senatorial districts in Lagos, including Badagry, Ijanikin, and Ikorodu.
Are added that a one‑month advocacy campaign on BRT buses, billboards, and video messages had also been deployed to preach responsible gaming.
“Anything we do, we have to be responsible. If you engage in gaming, please make sure it’s for fun, for entertainment,” he said.
Lending voice, the CEO of GambleAlert, Fisayo Oke, said responsible gambling must be treated as a shared duty between regulators, operators, communities, and mental health experts, not a burden placed solely on players.
He urged for a “seat belt approach” to gambling as part of a wider push for stronger risk mitigation across Africa’s booming betting industry.
He warned that gambling harm often extended beyond the individual, affecting six to seven other people, disrupting families, education, housing, and employment.
Financial losses can spiral into debt, crime, depression, and suicidal thoughts, he noted.
To reduce these risks, Oke said his organization trained operators to identify early warning signs—such as chasing losses or unusual betting patterns—and intervene before harm escalated.
“The group also conducts community education to help families recognise danger signals.
“We’re not saying adults should not gamble.”
“We’re saying they should never gamble without safeguards—just as no one should drive without a seat belt,” Oke said.
Dr Salau Abiola, a Consultant Psychiatrist and mental health expert, also warned that gambling, though often seen as harmless fun, carried serious mental health risks for a significant minority of players.
Drawing parallels between gambling and other socially accepted but harmful behaviors, he said; “The thing is, it’s socially acceptable but yet potentially harmful’’, while comparing gambling and gaming to substances like alcohol.
Abiola stressed that while gambling was designed for entertainment, some people “go beyond the limit” and suffer serious consequences, including financial ruin and psychological distress.
Citing available studies, he explained, “maybe one to two out of ten people may actually experience harm,” even though “a large number of people… may not experience harm.”
He highlighted the mental health toll of problem gambling, pointing to “addiction… suicidal ideation, suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety” as key risks when people “have problems coming up” from losses.
Abiola also lamented the fragmented data across African countries, which made it difficult to fully understand the scale of gambling-related harm.
He called for all stakeholders to “work together to see how to save the industry” while protecting vulnerable players.
In summary, as Africa’s gaming landscape continues to expand across digital frontiers, maintaining the balance between economic growth and player protection remains critical.
Stakeholders agree that safeguarding the continent’s youth will require stronger cross-border enforcement against illegal operators, mandatory operator safeguards, and continuous public education.
Members of the public who are experiencing gambling-related harm or know someone in need of support are encouraged to reach out to licensed regulatory bodies or advocacy organisations like GambleAlert. (NAN)
A.I
Sept. 10, 2026
Tags: Dr Salau Abiola Fisayo Oke GambleAlert Gambling Week