AiA to launch inaugural Africa Safer Gambling Week in September

The five-day campaign will combine regulatory engagement, public education and digital awareness activities across African gambling markets.

South Africa.- The African iGaming Alliance (AiA) is set to host the inaugural Africa Safer Gambling Week from September 7 to 11 2026, bringing gambling regulators, industry associations, operators and other stakeholders together for a continent-wide player protection campaign.

Held under the banner #PlaySafeAfrica, the initiative will focus on safer gambling, consumer protection and public awareness, with participating stakeholders expected to use the week to promote responsible gambling practices across African markets.

The campaign will combine industry and regulatory engagement with public education and digital awareness activities. The AiA said the initiative is intended to put player protection at the centre of discussions around the development of Africa’s gambling sector.

The announcement follows growing efforts by the AiA to strengthen cooperation between regulators and the regulated gambling industry. In July, the alliance brought senior officials from Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Malawi, Rwanda, Ghana, Tanzania and Angola together during iGB L!VE 2026 in London. Discussions included responsible gambling, consumer protection, market channelisation, illegal gambling and cross-border regulatory cooperation. The Africa Safer Gambling Week was also discussed during the session.

The AiA represents licensed betting and gaming operators across Africa and says its members are licensed in 20 countries. The association works with national regulators and authorities on responsible gaming, sustainable taxation and enforcement against illegal betting and gaming.

The alliance has identified unlicensed gambling as a significant player-protection issue because consumers using illegal operators may not have access to the safeguards available in regulated markets. The AiA estimates that Africa loses nearly US$2bn in tax revenue each year because of unregulated gaming and betting, while millions of players use illegal sites.

Responsible gambling has also featured in the AiA’s wider policy work. The alliance has previously highlighted player protection tools, affordability checks, effective self-exclusion systems and data-led decision-making as priorities for developing sustainable gambling markets in Africa.

The September campaign will therefore provide a coordinated platform for stakeholders to communicate safer gambling measures to consumers while encouraging greater cooperation between regulators and licensed operators.

The initiative comes as the AiA expands cooperation with national industry bodies. On August 20, the alliance signed a three-year memorandum of understanding with the Association of Gaming Operators of Kenya (AGOK). The agreement covers responsible and safer gambling, consumer protection, responsible advertising, research, training and public awareness, alongside licensing, compliance, taxation and efforts to combat illegal gambling.

The AiA has not yet published a detailed schedule of activities or identified all participating jurisdictions for the campaign. It is expected to provide more information on the programme as the launch date approaches.