Africa’s mobile gaming surge confronts rising cybercrime threats
Rapid growth in mobile betting and gaming across Africa is driving revenues toward $4.14bn by 2030, but sophisticated fraud and cyberattacks are testing the industry’s resilience.
Kenya.- Africa’s mobile gaming and sports betting industry is booming, but rapid growth is accompanied by rising cybercrime and payment fraud, worrying operators and players alike. The sector is projected to reach $2.39bn by 2025 and $4.14bn by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 11.62 per cent, according to a Market Research report.
Mobile dominates the market, accounting for more than 90 per cent of gaming revenues. Affordable smartphones and wider internet access fuel this growth, while platforms like M-Pesa in Kenya, EcoCash in Zimbabwe and PariPesa in Nigeria enable instant deposits and withdrawals, reshaping how Africans engage with betting and gaming.
M-Pesa, EcoCash and PariPesa remain central to providing reliable payment channels for millions of bettors, but these platforms are increasingly under threat.
According to INTERPOL’s 2025 Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report, cybercrime constitutes more than 30 per cent of reported crimes in West and East Africa. In response, INTERPOL launched Operation Serengeti 2.0 between June and August 2025, targeting scams that affected almost 88,000 victims. The crackdown led to 1,209 arrests and recovered nearly $97.4m, underscoring the scale of threats facing mobile gaming and betting platforms.
Fraud is getting smarter
Fraud is becoming more sophisticated. Traditional document forgery is declining, but synthetic identity fraud, powered by AI, deepfakes and digital forgery tools, is on the rise.
Reports from identity verification and fraud-prevention companies Sumsub and Smile ID highlight generative AI and insider-assisted schemes exploiting fintech and betting platforms, putting millions of users at risk.
Andrew Novoselsky, Chief Product Officer at Sumsub, warned: “Fragmentation is one of the biggest threats in modern risk management.” His firm’s AI-driven verification tools help operators in Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya reduce losses, speed up account checks and protect players from complex fraud.
Chris Meredith, Senior Vice President for EMEA at Xsolla, a leading provider of payment solutions and business services for the gaming industry, emphasised secure transactions. “Better integration of mobile money is critical to help Africa’s gaming industry reach its full potential,” he said.
Public concern mirrors these developments. A KnowBe4 2025 survey shows that 58 per cent of Africans now worry about cybercrime, nearly double the 2023 figure.
In South Africa, TransUnion’s 2025 State of Omnichannel Fraud Report identifies online betting and poker platforms as key targets. Smile ID’s analysis of 110 million identity checks, which include individual digital identity verifications such as ID documents and biometric scans, highlights increasingly complex fraud schemes across the region.
Africa’s $4bn gaming economy continues to expand, but operators focusing on robust payment security and fraud prevention are best placed to safeguard player trust and ensure sustainable growth.
