Africa Focus
RINGING THE
CHANGES
Data is expensive and coverage is sometimes patchy,
which is hardly ideal for a mobile-first market,
writes Gregory Parsons. To overcome this, successful
operators are doing things a bit differently
“Sports betting in Africa is booming!” This has been a recurring theme
in most discussions about the growth of the African betting industry
for many years now. These conversations also reference smartphone
penetration, infrastructure development, an emerging middle class and
a rapidly evolving payment gateway ecosystem as the key catalysts to
validate the statement.
However, while all of the above is undoubtedly true, there is more to
this growth trend and market evolution than initially meets the eye.
The operators with the biggest market potential are doing things
slightly differently now than in the past, adopting a blue-ocean strategy
by creating new value for the end user through clever optimisations and
unique diversification strategies. They’re doing this while simultaneously
streamlining their internal efficiencies by outsourcing trading and
using only the very best technical solutions in their operations. Overall,
these solutions are now highly specialised to fit the needs of the market,
and they represent a step change in the technological innovation in the
African betting industry.
Having enough content to offer punters is only one small part of the
modern-day African sportsbook. The mobile-first approach is where
we see major technological evolution occurring. Operators need to
be inventive, especially when the digital terms of engagement of the
modern consumer are already so clearly defined. The platforms working
successfully in Africa address key points in highly sophisticated ways,
such as speed of use, seamless UI/UXs, intuitive design, low data usage,
rapid development capacity, innovative marketing tools, etc. Falling short
in any particular area carries significant opportunity cost in the age of the
digital end user, with high expectations and an uninstall button at their
fingertips 24/7.
Interestingly, recent tests conducted by Sportradar in Africa across
half a dozen sportsbooks showed, in some instances, the time spent
constructing a standardised six-leg accumulator varied between four and
10 minutes. What’s more, the lowest data consumption in this process
was 700kb and the highest was an alarming 8.3MB! In a market where
data is expensive, connections are slow and a successful sportsbook
should be aiming at audiences measured in the millions (if not tens
Gregory Parsons is the Sportradar regional
sales director for Africa. Having been in the
betting industry for nearly 25 years, Greg
has spent the last seven years working with
Sportradar to help build some of the most
iconic betting brands on the continent.
of millions) of mobile tickets per month, this single factor alone will
significantly hinder mobile growth.
Additionally, a recent Sportradar analysis of a significant sample size
showed that mobile turnover increased by 80% between May 2017 vs
May 2018 when comparing month to month, while desktop showed an
increase of only 10%. In the same period mobile live turnover increased
by more than 150% vs a pre-match increase of a moderate 50%. While
not exactly indicative of the full scope of trends in the market, this does
quantify the major pivot points at present: live betting and mobile.
“Africa is a unique opportunity
but market characteristics now require
a highly-tailored technical
and strategic approach”
Sportradar has recently introduced live settlement for pre-match
markets via the Unified Odds Feed. The feature is showing great promise
as a growth driver, enhancing user engagement and acting as a catalyst
for both mobile and live betting growth. This again leads back to the
point that the modern punter demands a seamless betting experience
and instant gratification.
Ultimately, Africa is a unique opportunity but market characteristics
now require a highly-tailored technical and strategic approach. It will
undoubtedly reward the innovators and necessitate the use of technology
and partners that are agile enough to quickly address the ever-changing
dynamics of the market in fluid, creative and innovative ways.
i GamingBusiness | Issue 112 | September/October 2018
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