Kenya drops from top gambling country in Africa position – survey

SOUTH AFRICA now tops betting in Africa,  dislodging Kenya which has reported a decrease, according to a new industry survey

This is after Kenya's two consecutive years of being the top gambling nation in the continent, trends that have in recent time sparked a national debate over the risks that gambling comes with amid calls for responsible participation.

The latest industry survey by global firm­–GeoPoll,  dubbed “Betting in Africa 2025 report”, marks a notable shift in regional rankings with South Africa topping with a striking 90 per cent of respondents having placed bets, followed by Uganda at 87 per cent.

Kenya, previously the consistent frontrunner, has dropped to third place with 79 per cent followed by Nigeria (71%),  while Ghana and Tanzania both report significantly lower betting participation at 56 per cent each.

In 2022, Kenya, led the continent with 83.9 per cent of respondents reporting they had tried gambling or betting, followed by Nigeria at the time which had a 78 per cent rate while South Africa was third with 74 per cent.

The 2024 study later reaffirmed Kenya’s lead where 82.8 per cent of respondents during the year indicating they had placed a bet, while South Africa had 73.9 per cent, Ghana (73%), Uganda (71.4%), Tanzania (71.1%) and Nigeria (65.3%).

The 2025 findings which show a slight increase in weekly betting across the countries , with 35 per cent of respondents now gambling once a week, 22 per cent reported betting once a month, while 20 per cent do so less than once a month.

“Daily betting has seen a modest decline, with 14 per cent betting once a day and nine per cent placing bets more than once a day,” Geopoll says in its survey.

The rapid survey was conducted in April 2025 among 4,191 youth in the six Sub- Saharan economies using the GeoPoll mobile app with the sample skewed towards younger people in urban areas.

It comprised 65 per cent males and 35 per cent females with age groups distribution at 18-24 (20%), 25-34 (63%), and over 35 (18%).

According the findings, mobile phones have firmly established themselves as the preferred platform for betting, where an overwhelming 91 per cent of respondents who participate in gambling reported that they place their bets using a mobile phone.

This highlights the critical role that mobile technology continues to play in shaping betting behaviour on the continent with Kenya being among countries with the highest mobile and internet penetration.

Kenya’s Communications Authority second quarter sector statistics report for the financial year 2024-2025(October-December) indicates mobile phone devices connected to mobile networks maintained an upward trend to post 72 million, translating to penetration rate of 139.8 per cent.

“Notably, smart phones maintained an upward trend at a penetration rate of 80.5 per cent while feature phones dropped to 59.3per cent. The rapid uptake in smartphones is attributable to the increased expansion of mobile broadband networks across the country that currently stands at 97 per cent population coverage,” CA notes.

With mobile devices offering easy access to betting services anytime and anywhere, they have effectively transformed gambling into an on-the-go activity—especially appealing to the continent’s predominantly young, tech-savvy population, GeoPoll indicates.

Football remains the most popular form of betting in Africa, with 61  per cent of respondents in the 2025 survey stating they mainly bet on football matches—continuing the trend observed in 2024.

Aviator, a fast-paced digital game, has quickly risen in popularity, with 19 per cent choosing it as their primary betting option, according to the survey.

Basketball follows distantly, preferred by six per cent of respondents.

“These findings highlight football’s enduring appeal, while also pointing to a growing interest in alternative, high-speed betting formats like Aviator,” said GeoPoll.

In Kenya majority (57%) reported spending less than $10 (Sh1,296) per month. Higher spending brackets included: 28 per cent between $10 and $25 (Sh3,241 ),  three per cent between $25 and $50 (Sh6,482 ), six per cent spent between $50 and $100 (Sh12,965 ), three per cent spend $100 and $500,  and those spending over $500 (Sh64,825) also accounting for three per cent of the respondents.

The survey comes amid a call to tighten gambling rules in the country.

In a statement last Sunday, the Betting Control and Licensing Board chairperson Jane Makau said the industry regulator will enhance technical expertise, strengthen digital monitoring requirements, consumer protection clauses, and licensing conditions as contained in the Gambling Control Bill, 2023.

The Bill is currently before the mediation committee of the Senate and National Assembly.