Gambling Attitudes Changing Across Africa

African is a very diverse continent, so it is often not wise to make generalizations about the region. However, there is no denying that gambling across Africa is massively on the rise.

While there are still a lot of regions that are conservative, many countries have seen massive upticks in gambling levels in recent years. This includes the likes of South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria. There are now some emerging trends that pinpoint why there has been this big increase over the past few years.

Accessibility

Around the world, it has never been easier to gamble. While people would traditionally have to rely on land-based gambling operations, these days the internet provides countless ways in which someone can gamble. Once someone has access to the internet through a mobile device or a computer, they will usually find a way to partake in some form of gambling.

With the rise in smartphone usage across the continent and the abundance of digital banking options, more people than ever in Africa have access to gambling these days.

Status and wealth

One of the big reasons for the increasing popularity of gambling is due to wealth. There is a growing middle class in many regions, with people increasingly having more disposable income. Gambling is recreationally popular among people of all classes and wealth levels. The area of concern is the low-income people who spent a large portion of their income on gambling in the hope of potentially hitting it big.

Age demographics

One of the contributing factors to increasing levels of gambling across Africa is the age profile of people. As time goes on, Africans are getting more access to the wider world. Young people are now exposed to movies, television shows, and other forms of culture from the Western world, with these influences often rubbing off on them.

Younger people are also using smartphones at a much higher rate, which means that they have the capability and know-how to quickly find an online casino or other types of gambling sites. This trend is likely to only increase as time goes on, with the usage of smartphones only going to rise.

Conclusion

A lot of big-name gambling operators are now looking towards Africa as being a potentially lucrative market. This is because more and more people are gambling online. This trend looks like it is here to stay, with a lot of governments now realizing that they can generate a lot of revenue from legalizing different forms of gambling and raking in tax revenue.