The African iGaming Alliance (AiA) has introduced the inaugural Africa Safer Gambling Week, an initiative dedicated to enhancing player protection throughout the continent.
This campaign, which commences on Monday, aims to unite various stakeholders in Africa, including regulators and industry associations. Africa Safer Gambling Week is set to be an annual event.
A core objective of the initiative is to ensure that the gambling sector in Africa develops in tandem with robust consumer protection, responsible gambling practices, and heightened public awareness.
Under the theme #PlaySafeAfrica, each day of the week will spotlight a specific aspect of safer gambling, such as responsible gambling, setting personal limits, and combating underage gambling. The week will feature a collaborative program involving regulators, industry representatives, public education efforts, and digital awareness initiatives.
Peter Kesitilwe, the CEO of AiA, emphasized the necessity of aligning industry growth with a stronger focus on player protection, advocating for increased collaboration between regulators and operators. "As Africa’s gambling industry continues to grow, player protection must grow with it," he stated. "Africa Safer Gambling Week brings regulators and industry together around a shared commitment to safer gambling and stronger consumer protection. We fully support consumers having the tools and information they need to gamble responsibly; this week, like every week, is about ensuring our customers’ safety."
The AiA has called upon stakeholders within Africa’s gambling sector to engage in collaboration, highlighting that this will be increasingly vital as the industry evolves. The association has prompted efforts to enhance cooperation, share best practices, and keep safer gambling at the forefront of policy priorities.
Furthermore, Africa Safer Gambling Week will highlight the need for channelization into legal offerings, with the AiA warning that the black market often disregards player protection.
Olabimpe Akingba, head of responsible gaming at pawaTech and an AiA board member, remarked that this initiative exemplifies the association’s drive to translate cross-border collaboration within Africa’s iGaming sector into actionable player protection measures. "At the African iGaming Alliance, we are committed to moving beyond discussions of collaboration towards meaningful action," she explained. "And what better way to demonstrate that commitment than through player protection? The Africa Safer Gambling Week is our collaboration in action."
On Monday, AiA also announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Association of Nigerian Bookmakers, aimed at establishing stronger ties on issues relevant to Nigeria and the broader African context. This MoU will investigate avenues for collaboration on safer gambling, player protection, and taxation.
This marks the second MoU the AiA has signed in three weeks, following a similar agreement with the Association of Gaming Operators of Kenya in late August.
