6 African Countries with the Largest Sports Betting Populations

The sports betting industry in Africa has grown quickly, with millions of people spending a lot of money on both online and offline platforms.

This growth is mainly due to more people using the internet, moving from physical betting shops to online betting platforms.

In 2020, mobile phones made up about 70% of online betting revenue, showing how important internet-connected devices are to the industry, according to DataBridge Market Research.

With over 1.3 billion people, Africa is an attractive market for betting companies. According to Statista, the continent’s online gambling market is expected to reach $1.85 billion by the end of 2024, with an annual growth rate of 6.28% from 2024 to 2028.

South Africa and Nigeria currently hold the largest share of the betting market, but other countries are catching up.

Slotegrator.com reports that South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya are the three biggest gambling markets in Africa. However, this doesn’t mean they have the most sports gamblers.

A recent survey by GeoPoll, conducted in March 2024, shows that Kenya actually has the highest number of people who bet, followed by South Africa and Ghana.

GeoPoll collected data from people in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda through its mobile app.

The results showed that 82.81% of Kenyans surveyed said they bet, compared to 73.94% in South Africa and 65.32% in Nigeria. Here’s how the countries ranked:

Football is the most popular sport to bet on, with 76.53% of people choosing it. Casino betting comes next at 9.69%, and other sports make up 5.14%.

Even though betting brings in a lot of money for African economies, governments are worried about its impact on young people and those without a steady income.

Many countries are now creating laws to control the betting industry, requiring betting sites and shops to get licenses to operate. This helps to prevent illegal activity and protects bettors from being taken advantage of.