African sport dominated the headlines in early 2026 as the TotalEnergies CAF African Cup Of Nations 2025 dazzled and entertained football fans all over the world.

Fans everywhere, whether at games in Morocco, in their home nations, in diaspora communities, or simply as fervent football fans, consumed the tournament in passionate fashion as TotalEnergies CAF AFCON 2025 proved to be a delight. Right up until the controversial final, fans watched – and bet on – the games in their droves.

But keeping players safe while betting on those high-profile games was, and remains, a significant challenge for operators, regulators and those in the third sector in a continent as culturally and economically diverse as Africa.

Helpfully, following the publication of part two of the International Player Safety Index, 1xBet and SBC Media hosted a webinar session on just that.

The session – A tale of regulatory progress or operators doing it for themselves? – was moderated by 1xBet’s Strategic Advisor Simon Westbury and featured the following guests:

• Nnanna Ewuzie, Business Development Manager Nigeria, 1xBet
• Fisayo Oke, Founder of Gamble Alert
• Weldon Koros, Director of Regulatory Affairs at the Association of Gaming Regulators Africa
• Simon Burrell, Co-Founder at Bragr AI

What does iGaming regulation look like in Africa?

The session began by setting down an important framework: establishing what the state of play currently looks like across Africa.

One trend that emerged was a deep sense of fragmentation; after all, there are 54 sovereign nations in Africa, with varying levels of regulation and legal status regarding gambling.

Koros, who has a pan-African view of regulation in his role, explained: “We have countries that don’t have regulators at all, then we have countries that are regulated by a national regulator. But we also have countries that have provisional regulators within their country, where each of them regulates based on their jurisdiction.”

The panel was also keen to establish the consumer demand in Africa, where players play in different ways to those in Europe, Latin America or the US.

Burrell, who also works with JuiceBet Kenya and is advising another operator in Nigeria, stressed that there is more to Africa than just sportsbook and casino gaming.

“It does incorporate lottery as well and there’s still quite a large retail footprint across Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of proximity and people going into shops, betting with agents on the street and their kiosks,” he said. “So there are multiple strands that need to be looked at when it comes to player protection.”

Is there enough regulatory enforcement?

There is also fragmentation in terms of consistency in player protection measures across different jurisdictions. It is something that Westbury has spoken about with SBC News, amplified by Oke, who noted that marketing restrictions are in some nations but not others, deposit limits are in some nations but not others, and the restriction of the accessibility of some products is in some nations but not others.

As Oke put it, “Regulators across Africa are beginning to wake up to the reality of player protection.”

But in worrying fashion, there are instances where operators are simply not obeying those rules that are in place.

Oke elaborated: “In Africa, as of 2024, 40 out of 41 gaming regulators across the continent have specific provisions for preventing minors from engaging in gambling activities. Interestingly, in most of the jurisdictions where they have the laws, there is still minor participation in gambling.”

What are the player protection challenges in Africa?

While Oke suggested it is perhaps a question of a lack of enforcement, Westbury opined that education is key, particularly when it comes to protecting young people.

“Gambling in Africa, culturally, is viewed as a wealth creation mechanism,” he said. “So we need to educate the player around player protection and the type of gambling. For that, you have to have an African definition, per se, because there are 54 countries and then multiple states. It is a question of understanding how gambling is viewed in Africa as a start point for player protection.”

While operators and regulators certainly have duties when it comes to the education of problem gambling, the third sector has also had a pivotal role.

Does RET have a funding problem?

Koros outlined that there are bodies happy to provide research, education and treatment (RET) services across Africa, but that there is trouble brewing with how those organisations might be funded.

“GambleAware was voluntary for quite a long time,” he noted. “When you come to Africa and ask operators, kindly, can you contribute to similar organisations, they tell you there is no law that mandates us to give a contribution.

“The same operators voluntarily contribute in the UK, yet when it comes to Africa they want it to be enshrined in law for them to contribute.”

He conceded that GambleAware will be closing in favour of the statutory levy in the UK but noted that Africa is much further behind than the UK.

However, Burrell argued that for many operators there is a harsh but true business argument.

“We’re commercial businesses, we’re here to make money,” he noted. “I think the more ethically minded operators—and certainly any of the businesses I’ve been involved in and am involved in now—part of what we’re trying to do is build sustainable businesses which create employment, which create opportunity, which help staff development and skill development. And yes, at the end of it, we absolutely also want to make some money too.

“A lot of operators will look at the CSR initiatives that they’re undertaking and say, ‘we are giving back.’”

What is player protection best practice for African players?

While fragmentation will likely remain a challenge until the African Union offers guidance, operators and regulators must continue working together to offer best practices to keep players safe.

1xBet is taking the initiative on this front, delivering gamified experiences for players that educate and advise players on their gambling behaviour.

Ewuzie explained that 1xCup, a football-based tournament in Nigeria, helps players with responsible gaming practices.

He said: “We also teach players that betting is not just about business, because the perception most Nigerians have is that betting is business. You can double or triple your money.

“Also, we created an educational space called 1xBalance. It’s an educational platform that is designed to help users develop a conscious approach to betting and digital entertainment. It provides clear and accessible materials on self-discipline and discipline analysis, as well as practical tools such as tests and a budget calculator that help assess risk and support more balanced decision making.”Unlock further unique insight on player protection in Africa, including staff training, retail considerations and how to get uniformity and consistency in regulation, by registering for the full session.