Africa Game Expo 3.0 Highlights Gaming Industry Challenges

The Africa Game Expo 3.0, held from March 24 to 27, underscored the evolution of Africa's gaming industry, emphasizing its transition from a fragmented sector to a more structured and regulated environment. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin discussed the industry's journey from the fringes of the formal economy to a significant player in the global landscape.

The expo featured discussions on critical segments, including regulatory compliance and the burgeoning iGaming space. A pivotal panel session, titled "Confront Unlicensed Operations: Protecting African Players and Public Revenue," moderated by Damilola Atiri, highlighted the detrimental impact of unlicensed operations, which undermine regulatory frameworks and siphon public revenue.

The session included insights from industry leaders such as Bashir Adewal and Paulo Claudio, who noted the urgent need for a unified blacklist of unlicensed operators. The challenges were further illustrated by a study revealing Botswana's illegal gambling market growth, estimated at approximately 500 million pula.