Sports Betting Across Africa – What You Need to Know

Africa, the world’s second most populous continent with roughly 1.5 billion people, is currently experiencing rapid growth in the sports betting industry. Right now, none of the online sportsbook operators in the United States and other Western countries has a license in Africa.  

The impetus to tap into Africa’s sports betting market is based on its projected 17 percent gross gaming revenue. Nowhere else has achieved this number, causing other prominent sportsbook operators and brands to turn their attention toward a potential entry.

Domestic sports bettors physically located in legal sports betting states can learn more about the latest welcome offers and bonus bets to claim at sportsline.com. Sign up with the corresponding promo code to claim thousands in total bonus bets after downloading the best sports betting apps from the App Store and Google Play. 

Let’s turn our attention back to Africa and its sports betting infrastructure. Several countries already have governing agencies and regulatory frameworks for their licensed sportsbook operators. These countries include Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria. Ghana, Uganda, and Tanzania also have Gaming Boards or lotteries to oversee legal sports betting activity.

Soccer is the overwhelming choice for sports betting markets in Africa. Compared to the United States, which just removed a federal ban on sports betting less than a decade ago, South Africa started roughly 30 years ago when it passed the National Gambling Act of 1996. 

Sportsbook operators in South Africa include Betway and Hollywoodbets. Betway is also licensed to operate in Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda. All six of the current African countries with legal online sports betting have massive populations with a large betting participation rate. 

Nigeria is the most populated legal sports betting country in Africa, with over 237 million residents. It’s estimated that 168.7 million sports bettors reside in Nigeria, leading to a whopping 71 percent betting participation rate. 

South Africa and Uganda have even bigger participation rates when it comes to sports betting, reaching 90 percent and 87 percent. Kenya sits at 79 percent, while Tanzania and Ghana are at 56 percent betting participation rate relative to their 2025 population. 

These numbers show just how massive sports betting is in Africa. As mobile phones and internet access become more prevalent due to affordability, it feels inevitable that we’ll eventually see some of the biggest sportsbook operators in the United States and Europe secure licensing in these populated African countries. 

With over 54 countries in Africa, only six actively permit legal sports betting through a regulatory framework. If this number doubles within the next decade, which it easily could due to the massive profits generated through licensing agreements and taxation, sports betting across Africa will skyrocket. 

The world of legal online sports betting is undergoing rapid change. Its appeal is evident through observing the sheer volume of betting activity that occurs within countries that have opted to regulate online sportsbooks. 

Technology isn’t going to slow down. There have been huge strides made in modern technology features, largely due to consumer demand from sports bettors, creating accessibility and a highly prevalent form of entertainment for all sports fans to enjoy.