New pan-African responsible gaming network promotes ‘common principles’

African responsible gambling organisations have united to form the African Responsible Gaming Network (ARGN), which launched on Monday with the aim of strengthening player protection and tackling gambling-related harm as the continent’s online betting market continues to expand.

The initiative brings together responsible gaming organisations, researchers and treatment specialists from multiple countries both inside and outside Africa. Lebo Seoheng, advocacy and communications manager at the South African Responsible Gaming Foundation, has been appointed as the network’s president.

The ARGN will focus on four key strategic priorities: producing a pan-African gambling harm report covering research and emerging trends; establishing a directory of treatment and support services for people affected by gambling harm; developing policy recommendations to help regulators strengthen responsible gaming frameworks; and coordinating awareness and prevention initiatives across multiple African markets.

Addressing Fragmented Efforts Across the Continent

Ladipo Abiose Akolade, founder of GamblePause Initiative Africa and one of the ARGN’s founding members, said the network was established to address the fragmented nature of responsible gambling efforts across Africa and create a platform for greater collaboration.

“ARGN was created because problem gambling is becoming a bigger issue across Africa and most responsible gambling efforts still happen within individual countries,” Akolade told iGB. “While many organisations are doing great work, there has been limited opportunity to learn from each other, share research, or work together on common challenges.”

Akolade emphasised that the network is not intended to replace national organisations or regulators, but rather to support and strengthen existing work by connecting organisations and building a stronger collective voice on player protection.

Common Principles Over Identical Regulations

While the ARGN aims to enhance collaboration between stakeholders, Akolade stressed that the goal is to promote “common principles rather than identical regulations” given the diversity of legal frameworks, cultures and market development levels across African countries.

“What we do believe is that basic principles should apply across all markets,” Akolade explained. “These include protecting minors, providing effective self-exclusion options, promoting responsible advertising and ensuring that people affected by gambling harm can access support.”

The network will help shape these principles into standards while allowing countries to implement them in ways that fit their local realities.

Moving Beyond Paper-Based Requirements

When asked about specific measures the ARGN is seeking, Akolade said the network wants to establish minimum player protection standards and move responsible gambling requirements beyond paper-based rules towards actively enforced measures.

“We would like to see stronger player protection measures across African markets,” Akolade said. “That includes enforcement of effective age and identity verification, meaningful self-exclusion systems, responsible gambling advertising standards, improved access to counselling and treatment services and stronger action against illegal operators.”

Akolade noted that the current landscape pays lip service to responsible gaming, with little effective player protection architecture beyond messages asking players to gamble responsibly and surface-level awareness campaigns.

The ARGN’s launch follows the inaugural Africa Safer Gambling Week earlier in September, hosted by the African iGaming Alliance, which brought together stakeholders across the African sector to boost player protection efforts.