11 African nations launch ARGN to tackle gambling harm

The alliance arrives as unlicensed operators reportedly took $17.8bn of Africa’s $23bn gambling revenue in 2025, GCI estimates.

The hit

Eleven African countries have banded together on responsible gambling for the first time. The African Responsible Gaming Network (ARGN) launched on Monday, uniting South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia, Cameroon, Uganda & Eswatini, plus partners including Austria, according to Yogonet.

Why it matters

Africa’s gambling harm problem has been fragmented, country by country, with little shared data or coordinated response. Ladipo Abiose Akolade, founder of GamblePause Initiative Africa, says the group won’t replace regulators but wants common principles on self-exclusion, age verification & advertising enforced rather than left voluntary. That matters as unlicensed operators expand fast, exploiting the gaps between national rules. The number of unregulated platforms targeting African consumers rose from 3,644 in 2024 to 4,129 in 2025, according to GCI.

The record

ARGN launch	Launched Monday (Yogonet)
Africa online gambling GGR, 2025	$23bn generated, with 77% outside licensed sites (Gaming Compliance International)
Unlicensed operator revenue	$17.8bn in 2025, up from $15.6bn in 2024, GCI estimates
Adults showing signs of gambling issues	11.2m of 80.3m African adults who gambled in the past year (The Lancet Public Health)
South Africa self-reported gambling issues	31% of survey respondents indicated gambling issues in 2024-25, up from under 6% in 2017 (National Gambling Board)

What happens next

ARGN says it will build a treatment-&-support directory across Africa, alongside its push for enforced minimum player protection standards.

Sources: New alliance unites 11 African countries on responsible gambling standards

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