Has the Needle Moved on Responsible Gaming in Africa? - THISDAYLIVE

In today’s gaming landscape, it is not unusual to see player protection messaging alongside marketing campaign rollouts. Whether operators use such messaging as a regulatory tick box or genuinely care about player protection and the industry’s long-term sustainability remains to be seen.

Over the years, the number of responsible gaming organisations has also increased, raising awareness of player protection through advocacy and education. Still, one question remains unanswered: have they moved the needle on harm reduction?

These issues formed the central argument of this September’s SLEC Africa webinar themed ‘Responsible Gaming Advocacy: From Digital Campaigns to Impact’, featuring the CEO of Gamble Alert, Fisayo Oke; Founder of GamblePause Initiative Africa, Ladipo Abiose; and Advocacy and Communication Coordinator, South Africa Responsible Gambling Foundation, Nhlosenhle Sibiya, elaborating on ways responsible gaming organisations have impacted the industry.

Right off the bat, Oke clarified that although work has been ongoing in the responsible gaming space, it is difficult to substantiate the level of progress because scattered data do not tell a specific story. However, he made it clear that the absence of data does not necessarily mean the absence of harm reduction, particularly when limited longitudinal evidence exists to track such progress across the continent.

Instead, he argued that organisations like his have helped shape the industry’s culture and expectations at various levels, despite limited infrastructure. Operators now have a clearer understanding of what is expected of them, while consumers know what to demand from their preferred operators.

Oke further described responsible gaming as ‘evidence-generating’ work, where vulnerable groups are identified and given appropriate support, while the process generates data that can help stakeholders understand what is working and where there are gaps in the system. Despite data limitations, however, there has been progress. His organisation has partnered with several operators to embed player protection features on their websites. In these partnerships, Gamble Alert serves as an independent body that assesses cases and directs them to appropriate support channels, such as online counselling, in-person consultations, and self-exclusion.

In South Africa, where responsible gaming work predates that of most African markets, Nigeria inclusive, Sibiya noted that responsible gaming culture is a prominent feature. The country also has a dedicated Responsible Gaming Month in November, during which the foundation launches a series of local activations across South Africa’s nine provinces to sensitise vulnerable groups on gambling behaviours and host workshops for stakeholders.

The biggest gap, she noted, is among online users of gaming platforms. In other words, operators have greater access to them.

The SARGF receives a voluntary 0.1 per cent of gross gambling revenue from licensed operators. This funding goes toward meeting the needs of every player, regardless of whether the platforms they patronise contribute to the pool. Sibiya expressed concerns about the constrained budget and the need to make the contribution mandatory. That way, the foundation can plan better and cover more ground.

Aligning with Oke, Sibiya noted that the data generated currently informs the foundation about where the gaps are and what needs to be addressed in terms of player protection.

“Responsible gaming organisations must collate data in real-time to show origins of problem gambling, and use them to initiate campaigns,” she said.

With data collation, funding and care established, Abiose made a case for responsible gaming organisations, noting that their work should not be about recognition for work done or personal visibility. In his case, his lived experience with gambling has instead created a need to advocate for and secure help for vulnerable persons properly.

To achieve that, he believes organisations must remain independent to avoid being influenced by their financiers, in this case, operators. In addition, Oke noted that organisations must operate with transparency by disclosing who funds them.

According to Abiose, lived experience, however, is not the only force driving organisations like his. He believes the player protection sector can advance only through collaboration. In a bid to close that gap, a group of NGOs led by people with lived experience of gambling have come together to form the Africa Responsible Gaming Network (ARGN), of which he is a member.

So far, all three speakers noted that responsible gaming organisations have increasingly gained acceptance among stakeholders, as they continue to apply international best practices tailored to local market realities when developing technology products. But whether that growing acceptance and activity have translated into measurable reductions in gambling harm remains difficult to establish without stronger, more consistent data.

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