African iGaming Alliance gears up for ICE Barcelona 2026
Peter Kesitilwe, CEO of AiA, said the Alliance’s participation in ICE Barcelona signifies Africa’s transition from policy-taker to policy-shaper.
Botswana.- The African iGaming Alliance (AiA) is poised to leverage the expertise from the upcoming International Casino Exhibition (ICE) to drive growth in the African gambling market. According to the organisation, ICE’s forum will provide valuable insights from established markets, which can inform Africa’s ongoing regulatory development.
The 2026 edition of ICE is set to take place from January 19-21 at Fira Barcelona Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain. The event, organised by Clarion Gaming, stands as the world’s leading B2B trade show for the gaming and betting industry, drawing operators, suppliers, regulators, technology providers and professionals for business development, product showcases, networking and policy discussions.
This year’s World Gaming Forum roundtable will centre on the theme “Controlling the Cost of Compliance”. This session will explore how poorly aligned regulatory and tax frameworks can undermine consumer protection, create market imbalances and encourage players to seek out unregulated offshore options. Insights from established markets are expected to offer guidance for regions still developing their frameworks.
The AiA, a pan-African organisation representing online betting and gaming operators in more than 20 jurisdictions, will take an active part in this discussion. Peter Kesitilwe, CEO of AiA, said that AiA’s participation in ICE Barcelona signifies Africa’s transition from policy-taker to policy-shaper. The move enables the sharing of emerging-market insights while collaborating globally on integrity, protection and economic balance.
Kesitilwe added: “For African markets, the lesson is clear: compliance must be effective, proportionate and sustainable. Over-regulation or poorly designed tax regimes risk entrenching illegal operators and weakening state revenues, a challenge Africa is actively trying to avoid as it formalises and expands regulated online gaming.”
Meanwhile, Kesitilwe has recently been appointed to Clarion Gaming’s Regulatory Advisory Board, joining other senior regulators, policymakers and experts to facilitate discussions on regulatory issues in the gaming industry.
