Africa’s first Safer Gambling Week begins with player protection focus
The five-day #PlaySafeAfrica campaign will cover responsible gambling, player limits, safer-gambling tools, underage gambling and illegal operators.
Uganda.- Africa’s first continent-wide Safer Gambling Week began yesterday (September 7), bringing regulators, gambling operators, industry associations and responsible gambling organisations together to promote responsible gambling and strengthen player protection across the continent.
The five-day initiative, organised by the African iGaming Alliance (AiA), runs from September 7 to 11 under the #PlaySafeAfrica campaign. The programme will feature public education, community engagement, digital awareness activities and discussions on safer gambling.
Each day will focus on a different aspect of safer gambling, including responsible gambling, understanding personal limits, using safer gambling tools, preventing underage gambling, and addressing the risks associated with illegal and unlicensed operators.
The campaign comes as gambling markets across Africa continue to develop, with mobile technology and online platforms increasing access to betting and gaming products. The AiA said the sector’s growth needs to be accompanied by stronger consumer protection and greater awareness among players.
Several gambling regulators and industry organisations are supporting the initiative, including the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA), South Africa’s National Gambling Board, Uganda’s National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB), the Gaming Board of Tanzania, the Malawi Gaming and Lotteries Authority and the Association of Gaming Operators Kenya.
LSLGA chief executive Bashir Are said the initiative provides an opportunity for regulators, operators and other stakeholders to work together on player protection and responsible gaming across the continent. NLGRB chief executive officer Denis Ngabirano described Uganda’s participation as an “important statement of intent” while commending the AiA for launching the initiative. He said the Board’s involvement reflects its focus on ensuring that gaming remains lawful, transparent, entertaining and safe.
The week will conclude on Friday, September 11, with a continental webinar titled “The Hidden Cost of Illegal Gambling: What Does the Black Market Mean for Player Protection?” The discussion will examine the growth of illegal and unregulated gambling, the risks faced by players outside regulatory oversight and measures that could strengthen protection in regulated markets.
The webinar will feature regulators, industry executives and player protection specialists, including AiA chief executive Peter Emolemo Kesitilwe, Bashir Are, Denis Ngabirano, Gamble Alert CEO Fisayo Oke, pawaTech’s head of responsible gaming Olabimpe Akingba and South Africa’s National Gambling Board acting chief executive Lungile Dukwana.
