TLDR
- Africa’s online betting revenue reached $23 billion in 2025.
- Unregulated operators controlled 77% of the entire market.
- Regulated betting brought in $5.2 billion, while unregulated platforms made $17.8 billion.
- Africa missed out on roughly $3.55 billion in tax revenue because of unregulated betting.
- North Africa’s betting market was almost entirely unregulated, at 99.7%.
Africa’s online gambling industry grew fast in 2025. Gross gaming revenue across the continent reached $23 billion for the year.
Most of that money did not flow through licensed channels. New data from Gaming Compliance International shows unregulated operators controlled 77% of the market.
Regulated betting sites brought in $5.2 billion. Unregulated platforms made far more, pulling in $17.8 billion.
The gap shows up in how people used these services too. Only 11% of consumers used regulated betting content, while 89% used unregulated services.
An estimated 215 million Africans took part in online gambling during 2025. That works out to 14% of the continent’s population.
The size of the unregulated market came with a cost. Africa lost about $3.55 billion in tax revenue, based on 20% of unregulated gross gaming revenue.
Regional Differences Across Africa
The split between regulated and unregulated betting varied a lot by region. Southern Africa had the highest regulated share, at 28%.
West Africa was close behind, with 31% of its market regulated. East Africa and Central Africa leaned heavily toward unregulated betting, at 85% and 78%.
North Africa stood out the most. Its market was 99.7% unregulated, leaving almost no room for licensed operators.
Africa’s overall regulated share of 23% matched Europe and North America. Latin America did slightly better, with 27% regulated. Asia-Pacific had the least regulation of any region, with 94% of its market unregulated.
What Is Driving Unregulated Betting
The report points to four policy areas that affect how well regulated operators compete. These are customer taxes, operator taxes, payment system costs, and limits on which products can be offered.
High costs and rules in these areas push people toward unregulated sites. Those platforms often charge less, offer more betting products, and run stronger promotions.
This leaves regulators with a tough balancing act. They need to make the regulated market appealing enough that people choose to use it.
The report explains why this matters for consumer protection. It states that if people do not join and stay within the regulated sector, “many of the protections developed by regulators … cannot achieve their intended purposes.”
The data shows a market that is growing quickly but remains largely outside government oversight. With 89% of African bettors still using unregulated platforms, the gap between regulated and unregulated betting stayed wide through the end of 2025.
