95% Mobile, 67% Football & 55% Weekly – The Numbers Betting in Africa in 2026

Africa has been one of the most promising regions in the world for iGaming over the last couple of years. More and more people are entering the industry every year, and the stats for 2026 back this up.

Based on the Nostrabet.com research and what we found from GeoPoll, 95% of bettors on the continent use mobile devices to place their bets. Interestingly, 67% of them mainly wager on football, whereas 55% place bets at least once every week. These stats are based on a survey that included more than 2,860 people across six countries.

Those of you who’ve been following our weekly iGaming news know that the legal landscape in Africa is changing rapidly. Many countries are becoming more open to this industry, so let’s dive deep into the numbers for 2026 to get an idea of what to expect next year.

How Popular is Betting in Africa in 2026?

The research from GeoPoll includes people from South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, and Tanzania. Those of you familiar with iGaming in Africa know that these are the leading countries on the continent. Each one has tons of betting fans, and the numbers back it up.

The first interesting research is related to football betting and the percentage of people who wagered on the sport. Kenya is actually leading the chart with 64%, followed by Ghana with 60% and Tanzania with 59%. South Africa is next with 58%, whereas Uganda comes in at 57% and Nigeria is last with 54%. The differences between these countries are small, which proves that football remains the go-to option for most bettors.

The stats for South Africa are probably the most interesting because the country has the largest sports betting market. People probably expected that more bettors would be interested in football, but this has not been the case. Locals actually wager on multiple other sports like rugby and cricket.

Mobile Betting is the Way to Go with 95% Popularity

Those who’ve been following the iGaming scene in Africa are probably not surprised by the popularity of mobile betting. According to the poll, 95% of bettors in Africa place their bets on mobile devices. Uganda is actually the only country on this list where 94% gave this answer; all others are set at 95%.

Having such a high percentage of mobile bettors means that every operator has a mobile-first approach. Things like slow loading speeds and missing features are unacceptable, and you can clearly see this when browsing different operators.

Most big companies in Africa have their stand-alone applications that are easy to download and install. Operators who haven’t developed an app yet usually have a mobile site that’s readily available. Both products provide a sportsbook/casino (when available), different markets, and useful features.

Football Remains the Leading Betting Product at 67%

We already mentioned that most bettors in Africa choose football as their go-to sport. A deeper dive into the participating countries will reveal even more interesting numbers. For example, 67% of bettors engage in the sport.

Uganda is actually first on the list because 84% of bettors said they would choose football. Nigeria, surprisingly, ranks second at 81%, followed by Tanzania at 78%.

South Africa is the biggest surprise once again, as only 29% of respondents said they primarily choose football. 36% of them actually favored casino games, which is why SA is the only country where football did not lead. Again, this is mainly due to the highly developed local iGaming scene and the fact that sports bettors often bet on cricket and rugby.

We can agree that football extends beyond wagering in many parts of Africa. There was a separate poll for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which made it clear that 94%+ of people would follow the tournament. AFCON also remains a popular choice among local football fans, and the fact that we’ll have it every 2 years instead of 4 adds to its appeal.

Casino Games and Lotteries Change the Picture

Even though football is the most popular sport for online bettors, it’s not the only option. It seems that 13% of iGaming fans across the six countries mentioned earlier also like betting on Aviator or similar crash-style games. They have become very popular in the last couple of years, and you can find them on numerous sites.

Interestingly, Kenya is leading the crash-style market, with 24%. People here favor these kinds of games twice as much as gamblers in other countries do.

Outside of that, casino games account for 11% of participants, while lotteries reached 5%. A deeper dive into some countries, such as South Africa, for example, shows different numbers. 36% of people here choose casino games, whereas 16% often go for lotteries. When you add in the 29% football popularity, we can see that the country offers a much more diverse selection than the other countries.

Frequency of Betting in Africa

Beyond the options people bet on and the devices they use, the poll also includes details on how often users place bets. According to the study, 55% of African bettors wager at least once a week. For comparison, 28% of them do it once a day.

Even though the numbers may not seem that high, they are actually very impressive and show the scale of the iGaming business in Africa. It also explains why football is so popular – the sport offers something new every week. This alone is one reason many people choose it over something else.

Bookmakers also have access to this data and use it to their advantage to become even more popular. You can often find unique weekly propositions and even daily bonuses. Their goal is to keep people entertained every time they decide to put their luck to the test.

How Much do African Bettors Actually Spend?

Another interesting part of the study revealed the amounts of money that African players spend while playing. A quick comparison between the six countries shows that 58% of people spend less than $10 per month. 24% spent between $10-$24, and only 10% spent $50 or more.

A deeper dive shows that Tanzania leads in the under-$10 group, with 67% of bettors falling into it. Uganda is next with 35%, and 40% of the people there wager between $10 and $15. Only 6% spend more than $500.

In terms of the over $50 threshold, Uganda has 17%, followed by 11% in South Africa, 10% in Ghana, 9% in Nigeria and Tanzania, and 7% in Kenya.

Keep in mind that these amounts are self-reported and not verified with any of the iGaming operators. There could be some differences (especially on the higher end), but overall, Africans don’t wager as much as Europeans or Americans.

The Demographics of Bettors in Africa

Another interesting statistic that deserves more attention is related to the age of people who bet in Africa. The study shows that 45% of people were between 25 and 34, 26% were between 18 and 24, and 23% were between 35 and 44. These age groups accounted for a total of 94% of all respondents.

A deeper dive into each country also shows interesting numbers. Uganda is leading in the 25-35 group as 59% of all respondents fell into it. In Kenya, 36% of all respondents were between 18-24, whereas 38% of everyone in South Africa was between 35-44. 11% of people there were between 45-55.

When it comes to gender, men made up 69% of respondents overall. Their number is the highest in Ghana at 82%, followed by Tanzania at 78%, Uganda at 76%, and Nigeria at 73%. Kenya was last with 61%.

South Africa is the only outlier here once again because 54% of all respondents there were women. This is an interesting example that shows the typical betting audience is not the same across the continent.

The Future of iGaming in Africa

Due to its fast population growth, rapid tech adoption and gambling-friendly laws, Africa has become one of the most important markets for many companies. More and more betting brands invest heavily in the local market because they believe it has a bright future.

Considering the study and everything we’ve seen, we can draw several conclusions. The first one is that mobile betting is fundamental for the local industry because 95% of people use it to place their bets. As a result, we expect to have even better apps and more optimized products down the road.

The second key aspect is football’s popularity. Close to 67% of bettors choose this sport in most parts of the continent. Bookmakers know this, which is why they offer more features and bonuses for football than for anything else.

Lastly, an average of 55% of people place bets weekly. This means that countries need to have adequate responsible gambling measures to minimize gambling-related issues.