As the dust settles on Latin America’s betting boom and European firms prepare for taxation onslaughts, a deeper attention falls on African markets to become new growth domains.  

A spotlight falls on Ghana as Kaizen Gaming’s flagship sportsbook brand Betano sets its sights on stamping its footprint in West Africa. The company launched in Ghana back in February, its 20th market launch.

Once more Kaizen will bet on the agility of Betano to deliver a hyper-localised platform to scale Ghana, viewed as Africa’s most competitive and cutthroat market for International brands. 

“We believe that there are opportunities in all regions and this is shown by our expansion globally over the past few years,” said George Skarlatos, Kaizen Gaming’s Director of Business Development.

“Our global expansion over the past few years demonstrates our commitment to exploring new markets thoughtfully, understanding local audiences and delivering tailored experiences wherever we operate.”

Unlike many African regimes, Ghana cannot be considered a fresh market, having launched its respective gambling framework in 1960 under the Lotteries Act. In 2026 Ghana became Africa’s pioneering market for online gambling, launching its Gaming Act to provide specific laws and licensing for remote gambling operators. 

As such, Betano is not the first international brand to set up shop in Ghana. Competitor Betway launched its Ghana franchise in 2016, as has Serbia-based Mozzart and Cyprus firm Melbet. Competition is amplified by a plethora of pan-African firms like SportyBet, Pari Pesa and Mega Pari. 

As of 2026, the Gaming Commission of Ghana details a make-up of 30 licensed online operators with 45 active brands – a dynamic that positions Ghana as more competitive than most Western European markets. 

Football – a trusted playbook 

Betano is confident that it can stand out against the crowd of other sportsbook brands vying for players’ attention. Its confidence comes particularly from its approach to sponsorship, something that it has leveraged heavily across markets both in Europe and, more specifically, in neighbouring Nigeria.

“We believe we can make an impact in the market based on our competitive product advantages and the Betano brand, which is globally well known,” Skarlatos remarked.

“The strength of the Betano brand is an area we have worked hard to build and is proving to be a competitive advantage. We view our brand as being built by our team and honed through our partnerships. In recent years, we have been very active in building awareness and trust in the Betano brand through our partnerships.”

Skarlatos cited Betano’s 2022 sponsorship of the 2022 World Cup, the 2024 Euros, Copa America, the 2025 Club World Cup as well as partnerships with Bayern Munich, Aston Villa, FC Porto, Sporting CP, Benfica, River Plate and Flemanego as examples of its successful sponsorship approach.

Ghana is one of the 48 teams competing in this year’s North America-hosted World Cup; it’s highly likely that football will feature prominently in Betano’s Ghana marketing campaigns throughout this year. 

It should come as no surprise, given that the World Cup is not only one of the most popular sporting events in the world, but football is also one of the most followed sports in Ghana.

Research estimates that more than half of Ghana’s population are considered to be football fans. Also, polling by YouGov puts the Ghana national team as the 31st most popular football team globally and the 338th most popular sports team.

Outside of the World Cup, the firm’s partnerships with European clubs, particularly the Premier League’s Aston Villa, could come in handy. The Premier League itself has documented the league’s following in Ghana – with fans seen wearing Betano-branded Aston Villa shirts.

“These sponsorships, coupled with our localised approach, ensure that customers recognise our brand when we enter new markets and trust it,” Skarlatos said, commenting on the global leverage of the brand’s sports partnerships.

Tech is the difference maker 

Rivals such as Super Group, owner of the aforementioned Betway, mark Africa top priority, going as far as to launch its own digital currency the ‘ZAR stablecoin’ marked as a multi-million investment to align operations. 

In comparison to Europe and North America, technological foundations are still developing across many markets. A key stakeholder to factor in is local telecommunications companies which are vital for both internet access and mobile payments, for example.

Mobile phone penetration is helping the sports betting industry grow from being a retail dominant business to a digital one, however. Mobile communications trade body GSMA estimates that between 46-50% of Africans now have access to a mobile phone, for example.

“Our approach to operating an online sportsbook is built on three core pillars: technology, people and compliance,” Skarlatos summarised Betano’s approach to the African markets.

“We develop our platforms in-house through multidisciplinary teams, which enables us to innovate responsibly, adapt effectively to local market frameworks, and maintain consistently high operational standards across all markets. 

“Our mobile-first UX is a key part of our technology.”

No escaping tax 

Something else to consider with African markets, like any other market, is regulation – though in Africa, the speed at which regulations can change is what really stands out.

Legislative changes are particularly frequent around taxation. Significant developments have been underway in two key markets, Nigeria and Kenya, for example.

In Nigeria, a Central Gaming Bill had been making good progress through the country’s parliament. Proponents of the bill argued that it would align regulatory and taxation frameworks across Nigeria’s 36 states – but it failed to secure a presidential signature.

Nearly 5,000km away in Kenya, last year’s Finance Act imposed a 5% tax on withdrawals. In a more recent development, President Wiliam Ruto pledged to take another look at gambling regulations in January, despite the new Gambling Control Act being approved just last year.

The industry was able to get a better break in Ghana with the 10% tax on winnings scrapped last year. Although regulatory conditions can be subject to regular change in other major markets, this is not deterring the likes of Betano from pursuing opportunities across the continent.

“Ghana is our second African market and we believe in the potential of Africa and will review it as we do for expansion in all other regions around the world,” Skarlatos remarked.

“As with all regions, we continuously assess opportunities for expansion, ensuring any new market aligns allows us to deliver a tailored and engaging experience for our customers.”