GamblePause adds gambling-blocking tools to Nigeria support
The platform combines blocking and self-exclusion support with counselling and rehabilitation, complementing existing controls such as Lagos’s SAFEPLAY system.
Key takeaways:
- GamblePause Initiative Africa has launched a gambling-blocking and player-protection platform tailored to Nigeria’s gambling environment.
- The platform combines blocking technology, self-exclusion support and early intervention with counselling, rehabilitation and education.
- GamblePause says its platform supports more than 40 African languages and includes parental controls and recovery resources.
- The app is intended to complement existing protections, including Lagos’s SAFEPLAY multi-operator self-exclusion system.
- Founder Ladipo Abiose Akolade plans to work with regulators and operators and explore integration with betting sites.
Nigeria.- GamblePause Initiative Africa has launched its gambling-blocking and player-protection platform in Nigeria, expanding its support for players seeking to control their gambling.
The organisation said the platform is designed around Nigeria’s gambling environment, with support for local languages and the betting platforms used in the country. It combines gambling-blocking technology, self-exclusion support, early intervention, counselling and rehabilitation with education and support for vulnerable players and their families.
The launch forms part of GamblePause’s broader push to expand technology-based player protection across African markets. Founder Ladipo Abiose Akolade said the service reflects a shift from relying primarily on awareness campaigns towards giving people practical tools to restrict their access to gambling.
In its launch post, GamblePause cited a 2022 KPMG evaluation of the TalkBanStop initiative in the UK to highlight the potential role of gambling-blocking technology in reducing gambling-related financial losses. The study examined the use of gambling-blocking software alongside telephone and online support.
GamblePause said the evaluation found that 64 per cent of surveyed users reported lower gambling-related financial losses, with an average reported reduction of £5,843 a year. Akolade said the findings supported the use of technology alongside self-exclusion and player support.
The group clarified that the app is designed to complement, rather than replace, existing regulatory and operator controls such as SAFEPLAY, the multi-operator self-exclusion system introduced by the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority.
GamblePause already provides free, confidential support in Nigeria, including counselling, self-help resources and treatment referrals. It also launched what it described as Nigeria’s first free gambling rehabilitation centre in Yaba, Lagos, extending its services to face-to-face recovery support. The app adds a preventive element to that work.
GamblePause has also built the tool for wider African use. The organisation says its platform supports more than 40 African languages and includes self-exclusion, blocking, parental controls and access to recovery resources. Akolade said the group plans to work with regulators and operators and explore integration with betting sites as the platform develops.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- What does GamblePause’s gambling-blocking platform offer in Nigeria? It provides tools to restrict gambling access alongside self-exclusion support, parental controls and recovery resources. The service also connects prevention with counselling, rehabilitation and support for vulnerable players and their families.
- Does GamblePause replace Lagos’s SAFEPLAY self-exclusion system? No. GamblePause says the app complements SAFEPLAY, the multi-operator self-exclusion system introduced by the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority, and other regulatory and operator controls.
- Does GamblePause provide free gambling support in Nigeria? GamblePause already offers free, confidential support, including counselling, self-help resources and treatment referrals. It also operates a free gambling rehabilitation centre in Yaba, Lagos; the article does not specify whether the app is free.
- Has GamblePause shown that its app reduces gambling losses? The article provides no outcome data for GamblePause’s app. The figures it cites—64 per cent reporting lower losses and an average annual reduction of £5,843—come from a 2022 evaluation of the UK’s TalkBanStop initiative.
