Betpawa empowers staff with responsible gaming training across Africa
Trainees learned to spot red flags such as repeated complaints about losses, requests to lift deposit limits, signs of agitation or desperation and customers admitting to gambling to cover bills and hiding habits from family.
Nigeria.- Betting operator Betpawa has hosted its annual in-person responsible gaming training for customer service staff across Africa on August 20, 2025, with sessions run from its Lagos offices.
The initiative was led by Olabimpe Akingba, Betpawa’s Regional Manager, and supported by the company’s Nigeria Country Manager, Ezekiel Omo, aiming to equip frontline employees with tools to identify and assist customers facing gambling-related issues.
The training was facilitated by experts from Tranquil and Quest, a firm specialising in mental health, addiction recovery and medical services. Their strategy is based on five key modules: understanding responsible gaming, recognising at-risk customers, simulation exercises, spotting the signs, handling difficult conversations and making referrals.
Participants, including those who joined virtually from other African markets, engaged in interactive discussions led by clinical psychologist Dr. Tunji Odebiyi. Trainees learned to spot red flags such as repeated complaints about losses, requests to lift deposit limits, signs of agitation or desperation and customers admitting to gambling to cover bills and hiding habits from family.
Odebiyi emphasised the psychological aspects, including the “gambler’s fallacy”, the mistaken belief that a win is due after a series of losses, and the 4Cs of addiction: control, consequences, compulsion and craving.
This hands-on approach encouraged staff to view themselves as caregivers rather than just service providers, responding with empathy to diverse customer behaviours, from aggressive complaints to emotional pleas.
Akingba noted that the in-person sessions complement ongoing online courses, reflecting Betpawa’s broader commitment, under its parent company PawaTech, to integrate responsible gaming into all operations. The training aligns with Betpawa’s suite of protective features, including deposit limits, self-exclusion options and referrals to local counselling services.
The initiative comes amid heightened scrutiny of gambling’s social impacts in Nigeria, where operators and regulators are increasingly prioritising responsible practices to curb addiction risks.
Betpawa’s efforts extend beyond training; in July 2025, following a record ₦1.6 billion payout in its Aviator game, the company launched a Financial Empowerment Program offering winners financial literacy resources, planning workshops and access to wealth management professionals.
