When it comes to different types of industries, many aspects characterize and determine whether a market is mature or whether it is yet in its emerging stages. The iGaming industry, in particular, has expanded extensively in the last decade and its popularity is mostly due to technological advances. In other words, the technological aspect is one big factor that contributes to the emergence of the iGaming market in different regions across the world.

One has to start by stating that there is no such thing as two markets that are practically a mirror of each other. The scenario that operators find in mature markets is vastly different from the realities of the emerging or new markets. From demographics to internet and mobile penetration, emerging markets such as the African market are very different from the characteristics of the mature markets such as the European market. Thus, having a great knowledge of the region in terms of languages, currencies, technological limitations and other cultural nuances should be the very basis on which operators seek success derived from a high standard of player experience.

The growth story

Holding the crown as the world’s second largest and second most populated continent, Africa is considered one of the fastest growing markets for land-based, online and mobile gambling. It is a region that is emerging extremely fast as a result of the growing economic power, stable regulatory framework, and advancing technology.

A mobile-first continent

One of the main aspects of the increasing popularity of the iGaming industry on the African landscape is the colossal advances in mobile technology. The usage of mobile phones in the African countries is on the rise and many people in the region are now subscribed to a mobile broadband service. In fact, statistics from the data and research company Ovum claim that “The number of African broadband connections will climb from 419 million at the end of 2017 to 1.07 billion at the end of 2022, as a result of the investment in faster networks and the increasing affordability of smartphones”.

Taking into account that Africa is a sprawling region that is considered mobile-centric, operators can benefit a range of unrivaled opportunities for growing and expanding their iGaming businesses. More specifically, in terms of mobile penetration, they can benefit from expansion in the number of smartphone users, the proliferation of mobile apps, and the widespread adoption of payments charged directly to the user’s mobile phone bill.

An omni-channel opportunity

The continuous investment in internet and mobile infrastructure is the main reason behind the African market’s growing potential in terms of its mobile and online gaming. Africa has mostly skipped the desktop experience and has the majority of players and bettors accessing the internet on mobile devices. Thus the reason why mobile players and bettors are the most attractive target for operators.

These mobile users are primarily young males at age 18-35 years who are widely interested in technology advances as well. They crave for brands who will provide them with the same offers on each channel, with a playing experience on their mobile that is still reminiscent of the desktop version. That is the reason why operators require an effective omni-channel solution and strategy that will deliver a seamless, integrated, synchronized and one-of-a-kind gaming experience across all channels.

This brings Africa to the next thrilling chapter – adopting omni-channel solutions based on Virtual and Augmented Reality. An omni-channel solution is a perfect opportunity for operators to get to know their players’ behavior, their preferences, and desires, and propose them unique offers and bets in order to create a multidimensional experience. Simultaneously, the omni-channel’s approach allows operators to continuously analyze their players’ activity, and ultimately improving their retention and acquisition rates.

We have come to the end of the last episode of the series “The Uberization and Glocalization of iGaming”. If you are interested in finding more about the technological aspect of the iGaming industry, download our last industry report “Uberizing iGaming with a glocal approach”.