Africa's regulatory maze: a country-by-country guide

For international businesses, Africa is increasingly difficult to ignore. It is also becoming harder to approach with a generic market entry strategy and a spreadsheet full of population figures. The real story is not simply the size of the opportunity. It is the changing regulatory landscape, the distinction between what businesses can legally offer today and what they hope to offer tomorrow, and the possibility that new licensing opportunities could reshape the market over the next three to five years. 

The continent is home to established licensing jurisdictions, markets undergoing significant regulatory reform and countries where the legal position of online gambling remains restrictive or uncertain. Some permit online sports betting and casino games under local licences. Others permit betting while prohibiting interactive casino gambling. In several jurisdictions, the regulatory framework is changing quickly enough that yesterday’s legal advice may already need updating.

Define established markets

Before predicting which countries will open their doors next, it is worth understanding what is already available. The most commercially relevant distinction is between a country that permits online gambling generally, one that licenses products, and one where online activity remains restricted despite an established land-based gambling industry.

For operators, the difference determines the product they can offer. For suppliers, it determines which games, platforms and services can be deployed. For affiliates, it determines whether their marketing activity can lawfully target local consumers.

Kenya: a changing regulatory framework

Kenya has long been an important market for digital betting, supported by widespread mobile usage and familiar digital payment methods. However, the Gambling Control Act 2025 and its accompanying 2026 regulations represent a significant development in the regulatory landscape. The new framework addresses licensing, foreign-based operators and advertising, among other areas.

This is particularly important for businesses operating across borders. International operators cannot simply assume that being licensed elsewhere removes the need to comply with Kenyan requirements. The new foreign-based operator regulations establish specific requirements, including fit and proper assessments and financial conditions.

For B2B suppliers, the regulatory position also deserves closer examination. Licensing and approval obligations may extend beyond the operator to relevant technology providers and other participants in the supply chain, depending on the activity and applicable provisions.

What is allowed? Businesses must establish which licence category covers their intended activities, whether their products require additional approval and whether their operating structure satisfies the current rules. What comes next? Greater scrutiny of advertising, supplier relationships, technical compliance and the distinction between locally licensed and foreign-based operators. Kenya is an example of why market entry should be based on the current legislation and its implementation, rather than the assumptions that supported an earlier launch.

Ghana: an established route for online betting and gaming

Ghana offers a more established licensing environment for operators offering online betting and gaming. The Gaming Commission of Ghana publishes a register of licensed operators covering categories including sports betting, online casino and remote interactive games. This provides a useful indication of the range of activities accommodated within the existing framework. But a recognised licensing route does not mean that every international business can enter on identical terms.

The Commission's published licensing requirements include corporate establishment, capital requirements, tax documentation and Ghanaian ownership conditions. Online operations may also require information about software providers and technical solutions, alongside relevant certification and operational documentation.

For suppliers, this creates an important distinction between supplying a licensed operator and satisfying any requirements that apply to the supplier or product itself. Operators, meanwhile, need to understand whether their proposed product mix is covered by their authorisation.

What comes next? Continued attention to responsible gambling, promotional activity, technical oversight and the maintenance of licence conditions. Ghana demonstrates that a regulated market can offer meaningful commercial opportunities without eliminating the need for local structuring and ongoing compliance.

Tanzania and Uganda: established digital betting markets

Tanzania and Uganda are also important jurisdictions for businesses considering regulated online betting. Tanzania’s Gaming Board publishes information on licensed online and land-based sports betting operators. Uganda has an established licensing framework administered by the National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board. For operators, the practical considerations include the relevant licence category, permitted products, local requirements, tax treatment and player protection obligations.

For suppliers, the questions include technical approval, game certification where applicable, reporting requirements and whether the proposed service falls within a regulated supplier category. Neither market should be treated as a shortcut into neighbouring countries. A licence in Tanzania or Uganda does not automatically authorise an operator to serve customers elsewhere in East Africa. The next phase of development is likely to involve continued regulatory attention to taxation, player protection, digital advertising and the relationship between licensed businesses and their third parties.

South Africa: the market with an important product distinction

South Africa deserves particular attention because it illustrates the difference between a regulated betting market and a fully licensed online casino market.

Licensed online sports betting is permitted through the applicable provincial licensing framework. Interactive online casino gambling, however, remains prohibited under the existing national framework. This distinction matters enormously for suppliers. A sports betting platform, a sportsbook in-play products and a remote casino games portfolio do not necessarily have the same regulatory treatment.

A supplier should not assume that because a licensed bookmaker can offer online betting, that same operator can lawfully deploy every form of online gambling product. South Africa has also been the subject of debate about online gambling taxation and regulatory reform. The policy direction and timing of any legislative changes will be important for businesses assessing the market. What comes next? Closer scrutiny of unlawful online gambling, advertising, taxation and the possible evolution of the legislative framework.

Could South Africa eventually adopt a broader online gambling licensing regime? It is a possibility worth monitoring for the time being, but companies shouldn’t establish changes until this is deemed ultimately necessary. Until the law changes and the relevant provisions take effect, the existing distinction remains critical.

Botswana: a useful example of a market opening in stages

Botswana is particularly interesting because its online betting licensing rollout began in February 2025. The country is not simply a prediction on a list of future markets. It is an example of how a jurisdiction can introduce licensing opportunities in stages while continuing to develop its broader gambling framework.

The Gambling Authority regulates gambling under the Gambling Act 2012 and publishes information about its licensing services and licensees. In September 2026, the authority also invited expressions of interest from investors interested in developing and operating bingo and casino establishments. That exercise was intended to inform future licensing processes.

For international operators and suppliers, the significance is not that every product category is automatically available. It is that licensing opportunities can emerge in phases, and businesses that monitor official announcements may identify opportunities before a new licensing process becomes widely discussed.

What comes next? Further licensing developments are worth watching, particularly where the authority moves from market consultation to formal application processes. For businesses, the practical lesson is to distinguish between an invitation to express interest, a published application process and an actual licence. They are three different things, even if a commercial presentation makes them look suspiciously similar.

Botswana should remain on the industry's watchlist because it already has an established gambling regulator and has been progressing licensing opportunities in stages. The next opportunity may not be a brand new national online gambling regime. It may be the expansion or refinement of available licence categories, the launch of further application rounds or changes to the treatment of particular gambling products.

For suppliers and investors, monitoring official licensing notices may be more useful than waiting for a headline announcing a completely new market.

Nigeria: one market, multiple licensing considerations

Nigeria presents a different challenge. The country's regulatory landscape was materially affected by the Supreme Court's November 2024 ruling on the constitutional division of powers over lotteries and games of chance. The resulting position has significant implications for the role of state-level regulation and the extent to which operators can rely on a single authorisation.

For operators, this makes geographical scope a central licensing question. Businesses need to establish which authority has jurisdiction over their proposed activities and where additional state-level authorisations may be required. For suppliers, the implications can be equally significant. A platform contract with a licensed operator does not, by itself, establish that the operator is authorised to provide every product in every state.

Affiliates should also understand the local position before targeting consumers, particularly where promotional activity is linked to operators whose authorisations may vary by jurisdiction. What comes next? Further regulatory clarification, continued attention to licensing scope and a greater need for operators to map their authorised geographical footprint. Nigeria may remain a major commercial opportunity, but its scale should not obscure the complexity of its regulatory structure.

Francophone, West Africa: an area worth watching

The Francophone markets deserve more attention than they often receive in English language industry coverage.

Countries such as Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal, alongside other markets in West and Central Africa, merit closer examination for businesses interested in regional expansion. However, their current legal frameworks, permitted products and routes to authorisation must be assessed individually. The potential opportunity lies partly in whether governments modernise older legal frameworks to address digital products, remote operations and online distribution. That could take the form of explicit online licensing provisions, clearer rules for technology suppliers or more structured oversight of existing betting activity. It could equally take the form of tighter restrictions rather than broader market access.

The prediction here is not that any country will launch a new licence by a specified date. It is that Francophone West Africa deserves a place in regulatory monitoring and market entry planning, rather than being treated as an afterthought amongst other predominant markets.

Ethiopia: potential opportunity, subject to regulatory and economic conditions

Ethiopia is another market worth monitoring, given its population and the potential scale of its digital economy. But population size is not a substitute for legal access. The regulatory framework, licensing policy, payment infrastructure, foreign exchange arrangements and ability to operate all matter sustainably.

Any move towards broader online gambling licensing would need to be established through official legislation or regulatory action. Businesses should therefore treat Ethiopia as a market for research and monitoring, not assume that its demographics translate directly into an accessible commercial opportunity. The next licensing wave may involve suppliers as much as operators. One of the more credible predictions is not about which country will open next, but about what regulators will expect when it does. As jurisdictions modernise their frameworks, they may introduce more explicit rules for software suppliers, platform providers, testing and certification, advertising partners and other third parties.

For suppliers, the commercial implication is significant. A business that understands local certification, documentation, technical controls and licensing requirements before an application window opens may be better prepared to support operator clients when the market becomes accessible.

For operators, a supplier's regulatory readiness could become an increasingly important procurement consideration.

For affiliates, the same logic applies to local advertising restrictions and the status of the operators they promote.

What can operators, suppliers and affiliates do now?

The most effective approach is to separate confirmed market access from potential future opportunities. For operators, that means documenting the permitted products, licence categories, corporate requirements, tax treatment and ongoing obligations in every target jurisdiction. It also means establishing whether a local entity, local ownership or other market-specific arrangements are required.

For suppliers, the priority is to determine whether the relevant jurisdiction regulates the supplier directly, requires product approvals or certification, or imposes obligations through the operator's licence. A product that is technically ready to launch may still be commercially unusable until its regulatory position is resolved.

For affiliates, the focus should be on whether local law permits the activity, whether the promoted operator is authorised for the relevant product and territory, and whether the proposed advertising and acquisition methods comply with local requirements.

Investors should look beyond the number of target markets in a business plan. They should ask how many markets are legally accessible, which licences have actually been secured, what approvals remain outstanding and what assumptions underpin the projected launch dates.

Across all three groups, ongoing monitoring is essential. Licensing rules can change, application windows can open or close, tax rates can be revised and new requirements can affect existing operations.

The prediction: regulation will shape the winners

Africa's online gambling sector will not develop along one uniform path. Some jurisdictions may expand licensed product categories, others may strengthen existing regimes, and some may maintain restrictive approaches. 

The businesses best positioned to benefit will be those that understand these differences and prepare accordingly. For operators, a licence is not merely a cost of entry. It defines the scope of the business they can run. For suppliers, regulatory readiness can determine whether a product is deployable, whether an operator can use it and whether additional approvals are needed. For affiliates, compliance with local advertising and market access rules can determine whether a campaign is viable in the first place. 

And for regulators, the challenge is to create frameworks that protect consumers, address illegal activity and generate sustainable economic value without making lawful participation unnecessarily difficult. 

The most interesting question for the next three to five years is therefore not simply which African country will license online gambling next. It is which jurisdictions will create clear, workable frameworks for digital gambling, which will broaden the range of permitted products, and which will introduce more explicit requirements for the businesses that support the industry. There will be opportunities. There will also be markets where the commercial case looks stronger than the legal one. 

The trick is knowing the difference before the launch budget is approved. Because in African iGaming, the next big opportunity may not be the country everyone is already talking about, but the one whose regulator has just published a document that nobody outside the compliance team has read yet.