The convergence between fintech and betting is revolutionising Africa’s digital space in a rather discreet manner, with East Africa at the forefront of this crucial development route in Africa’s iGaming industry. By mid-2025, Kenya—the current dominant hub in this space- was set to raise approximately $831 million in sports betting revenue, with esports betting contributing around 10-15 percent to overall betting activity. This trend is in line with East Africa’s sports betting industry registering a 6.1 percent CAGR. It can be attributed to mobile money services and smartphone penetration rates.
Regulatory frameworks that are propelling growth
This trend in Kenya gained pace in 2025 with the Betting Control and Licensing Board’s (BCLB) strict licensing requirements in the Gambling Control Act, which covered online betting, virtual gaming, and digital wagering. The Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill, on the other hand, regulated the use of cryptocurrencies in gaming activities.
In Uganda, the fintech industry is the driving force for betting innovations, with an estimated 191 operational fintech companies as of mid-2025. Encouraging regulations like the National Payment Systems Act supported the development of micro-payment infrastructure specifically for esports and sports betting. Tanzania reflects this level of fintech adoption via mobile money services like Tigo Pesa and Airtel Money, which work similarly to M-Pesa services. These services enable esports betting via apps and USSD strings for an estimated 20-25 million unbanked adults. The iGaming industry in Tanzania set to reach a target of 29.89 billion Tanzanian shillings ($11.15m) in 2025, with more than 70 percent of online gambling as a result of increased smartphone use.
The digital betting revolution
In East Africa, the betting industry has become more digital and transactional. The number of betting transactions in East Africa is over 10 million every quarter. The chalkboard and slips are now a thing of the past in betting shops, and mobile money and digital wallets are now the way and means through which people gamble and pay while participating in online gaming.
According to Temidayo Adebimpe, the SEO & Content Strategist for MyBettingSites Nigeria, fintech is the key driver in this shift. “You can’t talk about the growth of betting in Africa without mentioning fintech. Payments are the lifeblood of every betting website. Fintech has eliminated the friction; now, anyone who has a phone and a mobile money account can deposit, withdraw, and begin betting within seconds,” she says. Temidayo observes that the fintech industry in Nigeria, through the likes of OPay, PalmPay, Quickteller, and USSD, is the silent driver of the betting industry in the country. “The fintech innovation in Nigeria is enormous, and betting platforms have simply plugged right into that. That’s what keeps people engaged; they know the payment system won’t let them down,” she observes. The online betting industry in Nigeria grew by over 20 percent in 2024, primarily due to improved online payments.
South Africa, on the other hand, is more card-focused but just as tech-savvy, with immediate bank transfers and mobile wallets. “Both countries have found their rhythm, but Nigeria is leading the charge in mobile money adoption.”
Accessibility and responsibility
Fintech has made gaming so accessible to the extent that sometimes it’s almost too easy. Temidayo says, “It’s something we hear often: ‘Betting is too easy; just tap and get in.’ That’s psychological, too. It’s fantastic for convenience, but it means users can bet impulsively without even thinking about it.”
Currently, fintech apps have integrated the betting platform, with the ability to deposit money through a betting ID and have the money transferred instantly. Although seamless, there have been concerns over regulation. There have been calls for more responsible gaming regulations, with limits on how much is to be spent, deposited, and self-exclusion to regulate impulsive behaviour associated with gaming. However, the change in the availability of gaming has had a positive impact. “Before, you would have to look for a shop or an agent to deposit money through. Now, people can deposit ₦100 ($0.07) or ₦200 ($0.49) directly from their mobile phones.”
User experience as a differentiation factor
According to Temidayo, the future of iGaming in Africa will be based on user experience, not odds or bonuses. “Speed, simplicity, and security—that’s what users want. If your app takes too long to load or takes too long to withdraw money, users will know and will look elsewhere,” she says. Apps with instant withdrawal, in-app live betting, and simple user interfaces reign supreme. “Most Nigerian users don’t use top-of-the-line smartphones,” Temidayo says. “So, if your betting app consumes too much data, you’ve lost most of your users right there.” According to the 2024 iGaming Afrika report, payment reliability and data efficiency top the list as the most critical attributes for the average African mobile gambler.
The next wave of fintech collaborations
Fintech collaborations have moved beyond payment services. “It’s not just about transactions anymore; fintechs assist betting sites in verifying users faster, using AI to detect fraud, and personalise users’ deposit limits. It’s becoming an entire ecosystem.” Predictive technology is on the rise, with AI-powered personalization and applications that learn users’ betting behaviour, suggesting odds, and helping with risk management, already in progress in South Africa, whose adoption of AI in fintech is marginally more advanced. Temidayo emphasizes the need for responsible innovation when he says, “The industry must develop without exploiting easy access. Gambling should remain fun, not compulsive. Regulation, transparency, and consumer education should develop with technology.”
The common digital future of Africa
The next five years will see the evolution of sports betting apps. There will be a closer integration between fintechs, the regulatory framework, and the gaming sector. Apps will be involved in instant KYC, crypto wallets, micro-loans, social betting, and all this will be done in a secure environment. For Temidayo, it means more than just betting. “The infrastructure that enables a bet can enable small business payments, savings, and micro-transactions. Betting has simply proved that the African fintech model is viable, and other sectors are now mimicking it.”
Table Mountain has the views; we’ll bring the deals. SiGMA Africa lands in Cape Town from 03–05 March 2026 and draws 3,000 minds to a rising frontier of innovation and ambition. It’s shaping the continent’s future. Be there.
