Sports Betting Boom in Kenya

A resent research has indicated a hasty growth of sports betting industry in Africa. Particularly, Kenia rises above other countries on the continent due to active introduction of new technologies into the local betting sector. 

Recently, an American company, GeoPoll, was engaged in an extensive study. The survey showed that at least 54% of respondents (aged 17-35) from the sub-Saharan African countries have tried gambling at least once in their lives. 

The data obtained show that last year, Kenia had the largest number of gamblers and bettors estimated at 76%. By comparison, in Uganda, the number of players is 57% of the total Internet users. Whereas Ghana showed the lowest share of young people involved in gambling, which is only 42%. 

The survey also highlights that Kenyans, unlike people from other African countries, prefer to gamble continually. The most popular sports here is football on the weekends, thus a large percentage of players make bets on a weekly basis.

 
Source: geopoll.com

 
Source: geopoll.com

In fact, the youth prefer betting on sports through new technologies such as smartphones. According to the same survey, 75% of all bets in Kenya are made via mobile devices. 

Moreover, Kenya is a leader in the market as to the funds spent by young people on gambling. Unlike other African countries, most Kenyan players bet on football once a week, spending on it about $50 monthly.  

Thus, analysts have concluded that the popularity of betting on football and English football leagues is growing along with the increase in the number of young population in Kenya, as well as with mobile Internet access. Despite the fact that the bets are not yet as high as in other continents, all evidence the further development and great prospects of the betting market in African countries.