Chronicle EditorOne of the most popular gambling activities on the African continent is sports betting. Since African punters are usually young and tech-savvy, virtual sports are becoming increasingly popular. Virtual sports simulate sporting events, making them ideal for betting. For example, virtual soccer matches are played nonstop, and results are published immediately.
Tech-savvy soccer fans appreciate virtual sports as it allows for more frequent betting, although the volumes will be smaller. Given the young age of African punters and their love of technology, it is no surprise that virtual sports are becoming increasingly popular on the continent.
The defining factor of the African demography is age. 35% of the population are between 15 and 35 years old. Young people worldwide are betting enthusiasts — and Africa is certainly no exception. GeoPoll recently conducted a survey that showed that 54% of Sub-Saharan Africans between the ages of 17 and 35 have bet on sports at least once.
Betting is most often performed through mobile devices. According to the same survey, 75% of Africans bet on cell phones. The continent has a high level of mobile internet penetration, and while the population does not have many PCs or laptops, almost everyone has a phone.
Virtual sports games are usually the first betting experience for young people who already know the taste of high-quality graphics and video games. In addition, it is excellent training before real betting, as the betting odds system may seem complicated to a newcomer at first.
This is especially important in unpredictable sports like cricket. It is no secret that this sport is popular in many former British colonies. Many Africans like to watch matches and bet on their outcomes. Of course, betting and gambling are less prevalent in Africa than in Spain or Australia. However, the number of fans of this sport grows yearly.
While preparing this article, our editors checked how popular sports betting is in Africa. It turned out that the number of active bettors grows the most exactly with cricket. The growth curve strongly resembles what is happening in India, which also used to be a British colony. This becomes clear after studying bookmaker review sites. The leader in the number of searches, Cricketbettingapps, gives information about the best cricket betting apps in India, which are also popular in African countries. Moreover, many of their users have started betting on virtual sports.
The African virtual betting market is characterized by frequent betting on small amounts. In Kenya, for example, many punters bet daily. A 2019 report by IPSOS and GeoPoll showed that the average Kenyan spends about 14 dollars monthly on betting. This is just for young people between 18 and 29. Low but frequent betting is the ideal pattern for virtual sports.
Virtual sports perfectly fit the mindset of today’s young people. It’s thousands of games a day and 24/7 accessibility, no shortage of scarcity to get off on bets. And, of course, the absence of such a factor as seasonality.
Experts note that the African continent has its own development path. Therefore, it is essential to analyze today’s situation on the continent rather than how the virtual sports market has evolved in Europe and Asia. For example, Africa has moved past the landline phase and almost immediately entered the mobile Internet era.
Online Reporter