Africans love sports, more so football. Different sporting events are not only an entertainment opportunity but also a time to make some money from bett..ing. There are different kinds of online sportsbooks that smart Africans are known to be making decent money from.
Just like
anywhere else in the world, there are some countries that gamble more than
others in Africa. Generally, African gambling can be split into three sections
as far as the legality of gambling is concerned:
●
Legal – Countries where casinos and betting companies gamble based
on existing laws.
●
Unregulated – Countries where authorities do not ban gambling, but
there is no legal framework for gambling.
●
Banned – Countries where any form of gambling and sports betting
is prohibited under law.
The
concept of religion plays a central role as far as sports betting regulation is
concerned. For instance, in a country such as Sudan, where there are more
religious people than Morocco, you are less likely to find devoted gamblers.
Strict lawmakers also play a pivotal role as far as gambling is concerned.
Generally,
sports betting in Africa takes unique turns depending on which African country
you are conversing about. Keep reading this detailed guide about betting in
African countries to learn more.
The
popularity of sports betting in Africa is something that no one can
underestimate. Figures released by GeoPoll tell it all. It is estimated that 54
percent of the youth in Sub-Saharan have tried some form of gambling, mainly
sports betting. Kenya alone accounts for 2 million people having attempted
mobile-based sports. These are individuals aged between 21 and 40. That
explains why Kenya's minister for Interior Security refers to sports gambling
as "a curse on youth."
The Scope
of Legislation of Sports Betting
To give
you an idea of how pervasive sports gambling has become in Africa, just look at
your favorite soccer team jersey, and you will have your answer. Most English
Premier League teams wear uniforms with betting companies' logos for increased
visibility. In the past, a sports betting company in Kenya called SportPesa was
reported to have paid 10 million USD as part of a sponsorship agreement with
Hull City. SportPesa also entered into a sponsorship partnership with Everton
to the tune of 12.5 million USD.
Amid all
these monies involved in the activity, one is sure to wonder about the
existence of any legal ramifications. No single expert can confidently state
that they have a comprehensive assessment of the gambling laws throughout
Africa. That's because Africa is the second-largest continent worldwide in
terms of landmasses and population size.
Imagine
trying to fit all the 54 African countries under a single categorization
despite each of these having its own governance systems and the rule of law?
Regional
Sports Betting Differences
As briefly
mentioned above, Africans face significant differences in their approaches to
sports betting based on different regions. For instance, in Sudan, most people
abide by Islamic law, which is against any form of gambling. Individuals who
are caught wagering on different sporting events, including card games, are
subjected to strict punishment, mainly public lashing.
If you
were to go a few miles from Sudan to East Africa, you meet Kenya gambling is
more supported and has clear regulatory laws for sports betting. The country
boasts of up to 13 fully operational casinos that compete for the available
market share. There is also a fledgling online casino industry in addition to
the brick-and-mortar sportsbooks that are operated mainly by foreigners.
In Kenya's
capital city, Nairobi, gambling is viewed as a way to entice tourists, as
millions openly engage in sports without any fear of legal implications. In any
case, there are no specific laws that prohibit citizens from betting. Thus, you
will find many enthusiastically betting for their favorite football clubs on
major sporting events. Betting companies normally run some of the most
sophisticated campaigns both online and offline in an effort to lure more
people to their platforms.
The issue
of colonization seems to have had a significant impact on the way sports
betting developed in each of the African countries. Typically, betting
regulation in these countries features a mixture of both local and European
customs.
For
instance, Morocco is heavily influenced by the French colonizers, and the
outlook of sports betting can be seen to have picked on these influences. That
is why the majority of the people play roulette online for money, mainly the French variant.
Owing to
the diversity demonstrated by different African countries on the issue of
sports betting, the continent is best examined by breaking it into different
regions/countries. This breakdown may not capture everything, but it attempts
to shed more light on what it is like gambling in Africa.
Kenya
Kenya has
the second-highest casinos count in Africa, currently standing at 13
establishments. A PWC report estimated that the country recorded gambling
revenue to the tune of 15 million USD in 2014. This is a figure that has
continued to increase year over year.
As far as
legislation is concerned, most laws are passed to generate the operations of
gambling companies in the country. Citizens do not face any legal restrictions
related to gambling.
South Africa
South Africa is the
king of gambling
in Africa. The country has indeed had a long history of attempting to ban
sports betting over the years, the majority of which came to effect under
brutal British rule.
With the
increased restrictions of gambling during the colonial era that ended just a
few decades ago, South Africans were forced to create their private casinos and
card clubs. By the time democracy was installed in 1994, it was believed that
the country has as many as 2,000 illegal gambling houses.
Efforts to
streamline everything led to the issuance of 40 gambling licenses to various
casinos and horse racing tracks. The country proceeded to create the National
Gaming Board, whose mandate is to oversee the gambling industry.
Today,
sports betting continues to thrive in South Africa across various cities and
towns. PWC estimated the industry to have generated revenue to the tune of 1
billion USD in 2014.
Morocco
A
conversation about gambling in Morocco is incomplete without mentioning the
Casino de Marrakech, which has been operating since 1952. It is the most
venerable gambling venue in Africa.
As much as
Morocco is predominantly an Islamic country (90%), the country considers
gambling to be a legal activity based on a 2002 declaration. Since the Islamic
Moroccans do not practice gambling, sports betting here is more of a tourist
attraction activity.
Besides
the grand old casino, the country has seen the emergence of eight modern casino
resorts. These offer different games, including roulette, baccarat, blackjack,
slot machines, and poker. The government also takes part in the betting
initiatives by supervising a national lottery that dates back to 1972.
Summarizing
the legal scope of sports betting in Africa, whatever happens in each country
in Africa boils down to its cultures, customs, and religions. Most Muslim
countries on the continent have established strict anti-gambling laws that
prohibit citizens from engaging in the activity. On the other hand, many other
African countries have various forms of legal gambling activities. The common
challenge that the majority of these countries face has to do with ensuring the
economy benefits from sports betting.
Betting on
Sports in Nigeria - Is It Legal or not?
You will
notice that we did not discuss Nigeria in the above section, where we looked
into how gambling compares across some African countries. That's because we
sort to have that discussion in this section.
So far, we
have seen that most African countries regulate gambling based mainly on their
religious values. But what happens in a situation where the country's religious
makeup is intermixed, as is the case in Nigeria?
Undoubtedly,
there must be a compromise, as Nigeria has shown. Sports betting in Nigeria is
regulated by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission. A 1992 Act defines
legal and illegal games. The legal games include:
●
Lottery
●
Sports betting
●
Land-based casino
Dice
games, roulette, fish table games and non-skilled card games are
considered illegal.
There are
also strict legal provisions that regulate slot machines. Only licensed
operators are allowed to run such games.
Nigeria
has three operational casinos, two of which are in the capital city of Abuja
and one in Lagos.
The
country continues to register significant revenue from sports betting, valued
at 33 million USD in 2014 by PWC.
Are Sports
Betting Beneficial to African Countries' Economies?
While
evaluating the legal scope of sports betting in some of the African countries
mentioned above, you saw that the evaluation also included revenue generated by
the industry. Generally, sports betting can be of significant benefit to the
African economies, provided the activity is regulated.
During the
introduction, we gave you a snippet of the extent to which sports betting
companies are willing to go to gain visibility. We mentioned how SportPesa, one
of the once-leading gambling sites in Kenya, sponsored English Premier League
clubs to the tune of millions of dollars. That raises one important question –
are these betting companies using Africa as a source of revenue and investing
the same in foreign countries?
Undoubtedly,
the amount of money that SportPesa spent on Everton ad Hull City as a
sponsorship package helped give the betting company more visibility. From a
business perspective, the company benefited from the increased visibility
offered by such sponsorships. However, the fact remains that revenue generated
from an African country was invested in a foreign country. The extent to which
these millions of USD impacted the economy remains unmeasured.
The
gambling industry in African countries is well-endowed. South Africa, Nigeria,
and Kenya were projected to be worth 37 billion USD as far as gambling is
concerned. Nigeria is said to be spending as much as 5 million per day on
sports betting. Most of those spending this amount of money are unemployed or
underemployed young people and normally stake an average of 8.40 USD per day.
Many of
the proponents of sports betting argue that the activity has helped create jobs
for thousands of previously unemployed youths. This is a true argument since
running a successful gambling company requires these firms to employ thousands
of people across the country. They employ agents who run parlors in communities
without a stable internet connection. There are also "sports
analysts" who make money from analyzing games and advising others on how
to go about their bets.
As far as
taxation is concerned, this activity is a source of revenue for the government.
There are different angles from which the government gets money just from
individuals engaging in the activity. A straightforward approach has to do with
the direct taxation on the betting companies. Additionally, gamers pay more
taxes every time they pay for their bets via mobile money.
It is
important to note that high taxes have been imposed as a way to regulate the
activity.
There are
also arguments that sports betting is one of the main reasons for the increased
uptake of mobile phones and mobile money. Since these betting companies are
based online, individuals are forced to purchase smartphones to facilitate
their gambling endeavors. However, the absence of sufficient data to support
this claim makes it questionable.
Sports Betting
Options in Africa
●
Teasers – Sports betting option in which the gambler is expected
to choose two or more events that would likely take place. The player only wins
the bet after each of the selected events wins.
●
Parlays – Parlays are often implemented as low-risk, a high-reward
opportunity where the player leverages their sports betting knowledge for a
bigger opportunity.
●
Prop bets – These are bets that are not tied to the outcome, and
you can use them when betting for particular aspects of the game.
●
Point spreads – This option often shows up when betting on
football and basketball. It essentially evens the odds on the two teams such
that the bettor can support both teams with even chances of winning.
●
Over/under – Involves predicting a number for a statistic in the
game in question. The bettor predicts that the actual number, e.g., game
scores, will be higher or lower.
How to Choose
the Best Sports Betting Platform?
Africans
have access to a variety of sports betting platforms, leaving them confused
over which platform best works for them. Luckily, there are some guiding
factors to consider when deciding on the most reliable sports betting casino.
1.
Availability
and reliability
Whichever
country you are from, there are some casinos that are known to have been around
for a long time and have registered a high availability rating. These platforms
are easily accessible online with minimal downtime issues. You can rely on this
availability so that you gamble with peace of mind. The last thing you want as
a gambler is to keep getting frustrated or worried that the casino can go out
of the market any second.
2.
Betting
features
The best
sports betting platform is one that gives you access to a variety of features
to enhance the whole experience. Not only should it have a variety of teams to
choose from, but it also should support multiple payment options to make it
easy to deposit betting funds or to cash out. Additionally, you should be able
to see comprehensive stats on the player and team stats alongside other guides.
3.
Betting markets
Most
sports betting sites normally perform better in particular markets and poor in
others. Always aim at choosing a betting platform that gives you a variety of
markets to consider. Evaluate the site to understand how it covers each sport.
Focus on
the extent to which it goes to offer an above-average experience. In this case,
your interest would be drawn to things like player props, team props, game
props, team futures, player rewards, and other endless possibilities. Today, it
is possible to bet on pretty much anything. Do not settle for less.
4.
Customer
support
The best
betting site understands that players can get stuck any second and would need
assistance. Thus, they have a customer support desk available 24/7 to respond
to queries promptly. Focus on a betting site that has different contact
methods, including the possibility to reach them via social media.
Please
keep in mind that when starting at a betting site, things often appear too
easy, and you may not care much about their support desk. However, as you get
deeper into betting, different issues can come up, and that's when you realize
the significance of the support desk. If you do not get support, you will
definitely become frustrated and waste time/effort looking for an alternative.
5.
Sports coverage
The
betting site may cover at least one of the major leagues. However, being able
to bet on different sports available at home and abroad is something you should
not ignore. A betting site with a variety of sports means it is well-rounded,
and you would not miss out on given games. Imagine planning to stake on certain
games, only to find that your site does not list them. Additionally, what would
happen when your favorite sport is off-season, and you do not have more games
to bet on?
6.
Live betting
Live
betting is one of the most intriguing betting features that most gamers have
not had an opportunity to explore. It allows you to bet as the action unfolds.
How impressive can that be? You may want to choose a betting site that has such
a feature. As you do so, take note of the fluctuating odds to help determine when
to call the game and when to retain a winning bet.
Sports Betting
vs. Online Casino Betting
Sports
betting and online casino betting are two different activities. However, they
share various similarities.
For
starters, the two are forms of gambling, and they are found in casinos.
However,
they also differ in distinct ways and could present some people challenges on
which gambling option to choose. Here is a look at how sports betting and
online casino betting compare to help you make a comprehensive choice.
1.
Long-term
profits
When looking
into online casino gambling, you may find the thrill that these games offer to
be quite captivating. However, you have a house edge to deal with. The house
advantage technically reduces your profits so that the casino can stay in
business for a long time.
On the
other hand, sports betting gives you a realistic shot of the amount of money
you can potentially win. Instead of you trying to beat the house edge, you just
set enough bets for your desired win.
Okay, the
high number of bets you may have to place sounds more awful than a house edge,
but it is not entirely the same. In sports gambling, you could potentially get
long-term profits as opposed to casino gambling.
2.
Game strategy
Not all
casino games require strategy, and even those with strategy have a limit to how
far you can strategize. For example, slot machines do not need any strategy.
You just spin the wheel and hope lady luck is on your side.
Blackjack
stands out since you have to generate an extensive strategy. However, it has a
catch where you can use a blackjack strategy chart and begin playing like an
expert once you master it.
When it
comes to sports betting, strategizing is part and parcel of the whole
experience. There are no charts that guide making perfect decisions. You have
to evaluate previous games and compare them to current circumstances to decide
which side has better chances of winning.
3.
Betting options
The
land-based and online casinos present you with different gambling options,
including roulette, craps, blackjack, baccarat, and video poker.
As much as
online casino gambling is enticing, sports betting offers more options than the
former. In football/soccer betting, you can access numerous soccer leagues or boxing each featuring countless games.
Additionally, you could explore different wagering options like teasers,
parlays, prop bets, point spreads, over/under, and live wagers.
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