The African iGaming Alliance (AiA) has launched the maiden Africa Safer Gambling Week, aimed at promoting player protection across the continent.
Starting on Monday, the initiative brings together stakeholders in Africa, including regulators and industry associations. The Africa Safer Gambling Week will be held annually.
The initiative is based around a core objective of ensuring the growth of the gambling sector in Africa runs alongside “effective consumer protection, responsible gambling practices and greater public awareness”.
Under the campaign banner #PlaySafeAfrica, each day of this week will focus on a specific aspect of safer gambling. These include responsible gambling, personal limits and the prevention of underage gambling.
The week will feature a coordinated programme of engagement between regulators and the industry, as well as public education and digital awareness activities.
Peter Kesitilwe, CEO of the AiA, said the industry’s growth must be matched by a stronger focus on player protection, highlighting the need for greater collaboration between regulators and operators.
“As Africa’s gambling industry continues to grow, player protection must grow with it,” he said. “Africa Safer Gambling Week brings regulators and industry together around a shared commitment to safer gambling and stronger consumer protection.
“We fully support consumers having the tools and information they need to gamble responsibly, this week, like every week, is about ensuring our customers’ safety.”
AiA calls for collaboration in Africa
The AiA has urged stakeholders of Africa’s gambling sector to collaborate, something the association said will prove increasingly important as the continent’s industry continues to develop.
The AiA has called for collaboration in the form of strengthening cooperation, sharing good practices and maintaining safer gambling at the forefront of policy agenda.
Additionally, the Africa Safer Gambling Week will emphasise the importance of channelisation into legal offerings, with the AiA warning the black market often neglects player protection.
Olabimpe Akingba, head of responsible gaming at pawaTech and AiA board member, said the initiative reflects the association’s push to turn cross-border collaboration within Africa’s iGaming sector into tangible action on player protection.
“At the African iGaming Alliance, we have been committed to moving beyond conversations about collaboration across African jurisdictions towards meaningful action,” she explained.
“And what better place to demonstrate that commitment than through player protection? The Africa Safer Gambling Week is our collaboration in action.”
On Monday, the AiA announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Association of Nigerian Bookmakers to establish closer ties on matters both in Nigeria and across Africa.
The MoU will explore opportunities for collaboration on areas such as safer gambling, player protection and taxation.
It’s the second MoU the AiA has signed in the last three weeks, having established a framework for closer cooperation with the Association of Gaming Operators of Kenya in late August.
非洲iGaming联盟（AiA）已启动首届非洲安全博彩周，旨在促进整个非洲大陆的玩家保护。
从周一开始，该倡议汇聚了非洲各利益相关方，包括监管机构和行业协会。非洲安全博彩周将每年举办一次。
该倡议围绕一个核心目标展开，即确保非洲博彩业的增长与“有效的消费者保护、负责任的博彩实践以及更高的公众意识”同步推进。
在#PlaySafeAfrica的活动旗帜下，本周每一天都将聚焦安全博彩的特定方面，包括负责任博彩、个人限额以及预防未成年人博彩。
本周将开展监管机构与行业之间的协调参与计划，以及公众教育和数字宣传活动。
AiA首席执行官Peter Kesitilwe表示，行业的增长必须与对玩家保护的更强关注相匹配，并强调监管机构与运营商之间需要加强合作。
“随着非洲博彩业的持续增长，玩家保护也必须同步发展，”他表示。“非洲安全博彩周将监管机构与行业聚集在一起，围绕安全博彩和更强消费者保护的共同承诺展开合作。
“我们全力支持消费者获得负责任博彩所需的工具和信息，本周与每一周一样，都是为了确保我们客户的安全。”
AiA呼吁非洲各方合作
AiA敦促非洲博彩业的利益相关方开展合作，该协会表示，随着非洲大陆行业的持续发展，这一点将变得越来越重要。
AiA呼吁通过加强合作、分享良好实践以及将安全博彩置于政策议程首位来实现协作。
此外，非洲安全博彩周将强调引导玩家进入合法产品渠道的重要性，AiA警告称黑市往往忽视玩家保护。
pawaTech负责任博彩负责人兼AiA董事会成员Olabimpe Akingba表示，该倡议体现了协会推动将非洲iGaming行业的跨境合作转化为玩家保护实际行动的努力。
“在非洲iGaming联盟，我们一直致力于超越关于非洲各司法管辖区合作的讨论，迈向有意义的行动，”她解释道。
“还有什么比通过玩家保护更能展示这一承诺呢？非洲安全博彩周就是我们合作的行动体现。”
周一，AiA宣布已与尼日利亚博彩商协会签署了一份谅解备忘录（MoU），以在尼日利亚及整个非洲的相关事务上建立更紧密的联系。
该谅解备忘录将探索在安全博彩、玩家保护和税收等领域开展合作的机会。
这是AiA在过去三周内签署的第二份谅解备忘录，此前该协会已于8月底与肯尼亚博彩运营商协会建立了更紧密合作的框架。