Musa Mngadi, ALGA: “We cannot continue applying land-based laws, regulations and tax regimes to a growing digital gaming market”

Focus Gaming News sat down with Musa Mngadi, CEO of the African Lotteries and Gaming Association (ALGA), to discuss the sector’s development and the fight against illegal gambling.

Exclusive interview.- The African lotteries and gaming sector is undergoing a period of rapid transformation, shaped by mobile-led growth, regulatory reform and an intensified focus on player protection and integrity. In this exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News, Musa Mngadi, CEO of the African Lotteries and Gaming Association (ALGA), reflects on the key developments of 2025, the growing threat of illegal gambling, and ALGA’s role in fostering regulatory collaboration and responsible growth across the continent.

Reflecting on 2025, what have been the most significant developments for the African lotteries and gaming sector, and how has ALGA contributed to these advances? 

2025 has been a significant year for the African lotteries and gaming sector, marked by rapid revenue growth, a rise in mobile digital platforms and increasing regulatory alignment. Mobile gaming dominated the African continent with unprecedented revenue figures, followed by amendments to regulatory tax laws across most jurisdictions. Other significant developments include an increase in problem gambling initiatives and a strong focus on player protection, player verification protocols to combat underage gambling and money laundering, and the adoption of cryptocurrency payment protocols. 

ALGA has created a platform to foster collaboration and harmonisation amongst regulators, promoting responsible gambling practices with all stakeholders, and re-igniting efforts and collaboration to tackle illegal gambling. The recently established ALGA CEOs Forum Steering Committee brings together experienced industry leaders who operate at the intersection of strategy and execution. By drawing on their collective expertise across compliance and governance, technology, risk management, and responsible gambling, the committee ensures that ALGA’s initiatives are informed by real-world challenges, anticipate emerging risks, and deliver actionable solutions that strengthen the sector’s integrity. 

Through these efforts, in collaboration with industry partners and government authorities, ALGA is helping to ensure that the African lotteries and gaming sector grows responsibly and sustainably, with public trust at its core. 

Illegal gambling continues to pose a major challenge across Africa. What strategies is ALGA implementing to combat this issue and protect the continent’s economic stability? 

Illegal gambling is the cornerstone of revenue loss in the gambling sector. It undermines the integrity of the regulators and the law-abiding operators that make meaningful contributions to the fiscus. The problem with illegal gambling is that gambling activities are only deemed illegal in the jurisdiction where the activity is active. That means you can’t apply solutions to illegal gambling with the same brush. You have to look at it according to the laws of each separate jurisdiction and why that activity is deemed illegal, which is why cross-border data sharing and harmonisation/ collaborations are so vital.

This reality underscores the importance of ALGA. ALGA cannot, and does not intend to, tackle this challenge alone. We cannot work in isolation, which is why we are actively strengthening our relationships with our stakeholders and driving initiatives to eradicate illegal gambling and promote responsible gambling across the continent. When we equip regulators with the tools, training, and frameworks they need, we enable them to identify and act against unlicensed operators effectively. When we coordinate intelligence and law enforcement agencies to address those who exploit gaps across jurisdictions, we empower the regulators.

We are working closely with licensed operators to encourage compliance and accountability, ensuring that the sector operates transparently and ethically. Through these efforts, ALGA is committed to creating a safer, fairer, and more transparent gambling environment that protects consumers and safeguards the continent’s economic stability. 

“Illegal gambling is the cornerstone of revenue loss in the gambling sector.”

Musa Mngadi, CEO of the ALGA.

Collaborations and partnerships are often instrumental in industry development. Can you share some recent successful collaborations ALGA has undertaken, both within Africa and internationally? 

Collaborations and partnerships are instrumental to ALGA’s mission and success in strengthening the vision and growth of the African lotteries and gaming sector. Within Africa, we continue to expand cross-border networks and data sharing. 

Within Africa, we have embarked on scaling our stakeholder network from traditional primary stakeholders to non-traditional secondary stakeholders that are indirectly influenced by the impact of online gambling. We are partnering with the banking sector, SOEs like NSFAS and Academia to promote responsible gambling and corrective behaviour with students engaged with problem gambling. 

Internationally, we have partnered with several global bodies that have demonstrated leading practices in responsible gambling, cybersecurity, and risk management. These collaborations allow us to benchmark our frameworks against international standards, strengthen regulatory capacity, and ensure that African lotteries and gaming are competitive, innovative, and aligned with global best practices. 

Through these efforts, ALGA is reinforcing the sector’s credibility, promoting responsible growth, and positioning the African lotteries and gaming sector to be sustainable and forward-thinking. 

What are ALGA’s priorities for engagement with governments and regulators to ensure that gaming policies support sustainable economic and social development? 

With the mobile digital expansion in Africa, we cannot continue applying land-based laws, regulations and tax regimes to a growing digital gaming market. Reform is needed, but not to the detriment of compliant operators within the sector. 

Our organisation’s engagement with governments and regulators is guided by a commitment that ensures that gaming policies support sustainable economic and social development. Our priorities focus on creating frameworks that are evidence-based, inclusive, and forward-looking by providing data to regulators through commissioned research and insights that inform legislation and policy.

Economic inclusion is vital and a key focus for us, as we advocate for policies that provide equitable opportunities for local operators, support small businesses, and stimulate broader socio-economic benefits.  Through these priorities, ALGA aims to foster a regulated, sustainable, and socially responsible gaming environment that benefits governments, operators, and the communities they serve. 

“Reform is needed, but not to the detriment of compliant operators within the sector.”

 Musa Mngadi, CEO of the ALGA.

Looking ahead to 2026, what are the key strategic goals for ALGA, and what challenges and opportunities do you anticipate for African lotteries and gaming in the near future?

As we look ahead to 2026, ALGA’s foremost strategic priority is the eradication of illegal gambling and the redirection of lost revenue back into regulated channels where it can meaningfully contribute to social upliftment. 

Illegal gambling undermines consumer protection, weakens regulatory oversight, and diverts critical resources away from public good initiatives. Addressing this challenge is therefore not only a regulatory imperative, but a socio-economic one. 

We cannot turn a blind eye to the scourge and harmful impact of problem gambling. It’s not one single entity’s responsibility to take on this mammoth task of responsible gambling. We need to stop ticking compliance boxes, and we cannot put profit before harm. It’s up to all of us who are direct participants in this wonderful gaming sector to ensure that we play our part. 

With coordinated action, strong governance, and cross-border collaboration, these challenges can be confronted effectively. 

ALGA remains committed to ensuring that the sector operates as a force for economic contribution, social responsibility, and sustainable growth across the continent.