Senegal‘s regulator, Loterie Nationale Sénégalaise (LONASE), is looking to take a significant step towards the standardisation of the country’s iGaming sector through the launch of LPbet.
The new online sports betting portal forms a key part of a wider strategy by the agency to modernise its electronic gaming, improving its responsible gaming services to the public while ensuring revenue channelisation to the state-owned local operators.
The country is aiming to maintain significant control over the country’s evolving gambling landscape and consumer behaviour, which has skewed markedly towards mobile-first trends.
During the official unveiling of the project in Dakar, Director General Toussaint Manga hailed the initiative, describing it as a monumental achievement in the agency’s digital journey.
According to Manga, LPbet was designed by the ‘Senegalese, for Senegalese’ to suit the country’s yearning for locally built gaming and entertainment solutions that mirror the state’s pursuit of increased digital self-reliance.
While Senegal might seemingly be looking to ‘monopolize’ gambling activities in the country with their latest move, the antithesis to the idea is that there are several other African jurisdictions that have taken a more collaborative approach and flexible policy to operations.
Nigeria has long put to bed the idea of a central gaming bill which was duly rebuffed by the presidency, with Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority CEO, Bashir Are reaffirming that ‘states are best positioned to regulate these effects, while cooperating nationally on standards, data sharing, and enforcement’. Are have maintained since that the board is always looking to cooperate with compliant investors looking to operate in the booming region.
Meanwhile, Kenya under the newly formed Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) have adopted a broader framework for operators with new acts for operation of several gambling verticals in the regime, a move which signifies a tolerant and supportive infrastructure.
However, a modest similarity can be attained from Ethiopia’s latest stance on iGaming in the state, where sources had told iGaming Expert that Ethiopia’s Lottery Service (ELS) still runs gambling games and lottery on its website despite a lingering nationwide ban on any form of gambling.
The launch of LPbet marks another important phase in Senegal and Africa’s Lottery and Gaming market, with this poised to increase the bid for local market participation, strengthen regulatory oversight and upholding the industry’s fight against black market activity.
