"We’re proud to say that we attended the first-ever ICE Africa event in 2018. We had a great time and are really looking forward to this year’s event. The turnout last year was excellent, but we expect that even more people will attend this year since Clarion have decided to make entry free to visitors. They have chosen to do this by way of a contribution to the development of the gaming industry in Africa", said Dubossarsky.

When asked about the goals he want to achieve, he said: "This high-profile event will be a great opportunity to meet potential partners and clients in person and to share our knowledge with them. We’re looking forward to attending conferences and speaking to local regulators to hear all the market’s latest news firsthand".

He also commented: "We’re keen to follow Clarion’s example and make our own contribution to the growth of the industry in this region. Having thoroughly researched the market and its requirements, we’re now able to play our part in the industry’s growth by offering our advanced products and solutions, which everyone at ICE Africa will be able to try out for themselves."

Then, he was consulted what was the biggest attraction of the African market for the company, and he said that they were excited because they considered that they have an excellent opportunity to support Africa’s gaming industry in reaching its full potential. "We’ve developed products and solutions which are tailored to the region’s requirements. For example, we’ve integrated a range of payment solutions specifically for the African market. What’s more, as well as a great selection of bonuses, our Online Platform includes a retail module that will enable our clients to open and operate land-based betting services. This is particularly important since it’s vital that operators in this region have a physical presence and not only an online one."

"We have 5 key criteria against which we assess new target markets. These are: economic growth and potential; access to and use of the internet; the suitability of our products; local regulations; demand for our products. Having considered these factors, we believe the African market shows a lot of promise. There are a great number of sports fans in Africa who we’re certain will really enjoy the entertaining content that we are able to provide."

He was then consulted about his opinion of the gaming sector in general on the continent, and he highlighted that the firm has done a lot of research into the continent’s iGaming landscape and have gained some valuable insights. "At the moment, the continent is best suited to land-based betting services due to the internet coverage being poor in places and the fact that there are more comprehensive regulations in place for retail betting than online services. That doesn’t mean that online services aren’t worth pursuing, though – mobile betting and payment methods are popular among younger players, and internet speed and coverage are improving every year."

He considers South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya as the most developed in the region. "South Africa stands out as being a leader on the continent with its 47 licensed casinos – in fact, over 90% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s casino industry is found in South Africa. The country’s GGR increased more than three-fold between 2007 and 2017. Regulation is carried out at provincial level. Each province has a license for horse racing and, in various provinces, licenses for online and land-based betting services have been granted to a number of international companies."

He also highlighted Nigeria’s strong economy, and said it was having a positive impact on the industry’s growth, and its sports betting market is estimated to be worth $2 billion. "Betting is becoming popular with the younger “digital” generation and the middle class. The market is regulated at both regional and national levels but, despite the fact that at least 50% of the population have access to the internet, online gambling remains largely unregulated."

Finally, he commented about Kenya, which has an even larger percentage of the population that are online – about 80%. "According to data from 2017, most Kenyans place bets on football once a week, which is more frequently than in other African countries. This makes the country another appealing market in which to offer our betting services," he concluded.