A Cultural History of Gambling in Africa – From Abbia to Online Betting
Today, the online gambling market across Africa is worth billions of USD per year. Particularly, football betting, although online casinos are also increasing in popularity in some regions. But what was it like one hundred years ago? Were Africans gambling thousands of years ago?
This article will attempt to answer some of those questions and more. From historical gambling to the games introduced across Africa in colonial times to the modern enthusiastic adoption of online football betting and casinos in the 21st century, this is what you need to know about the history of gambling in Africa.
Ancient Africans Played Informal Gambling Games, but Written History is Limited
The history of gambling games in Africa is somewhat hard to determine concretely. Much of precolonial African culture was recorded in oral histories, which were often erased or suppressed by colonial powers.
However, two popular traditional gambling games across Africa are Mancala and Abbia. Both of these games spanned the continent from sub-Saharan regions to the Cape of South Africa, and there is evidence of them being played for thousands of years.
Abbia is a game that involves pitching multi-faceted wooden carvings from a cup or bowl, and gamblers put bets on which faces will come up in which combinations.
Mancala is known by a multitude of names across Africa, but the core concept remains the same. Players move a series of beads or stones across a board, capturing each other’s pieces with diagonal moves. Although no wager is directly tied to the gameplay, it has historically been associated with gambling – including high-stakes bets of whole farms and cattle herds.
People were also well known to wager informally on events like wrestling matches or dancing contests.
Card Games and Sports Betting Arrived in Colonial Times
The colonial period of Africa’s history reshaped Africa’s culture in almost every way, and leisure and entertainment activities like gambling were not excluded from that.
Settlers and administrators brought with them card games and horse racing, and introduced organised betting. In the 18th century, billiards and horse racing became popular more widely with bettors in Nigeria. Horse racing in particular spread to some parts of the continent.
Despite colonial attempts to regulate or ban it at various times, Africans across the continent continued to gamble informally on dice games and card games throughout the period. Many of these blend the traditional, competitive and social aspects of ancient African gambling games with colonial settler gameplay elements.
During this time, religious attitudes across the continent also shaped gambling. Countries with The country has had legal online gambling since the 1990s, and its growth has been spurred by investment in strong internet infrastructure and increasingly widespread smartphone adoption. Online gambling now makes R100 billion a year in revenues, and there are millions of bettors across the country. Particularly in sports betting, which drives 75% of betting activity. Although online casinos are also on the rise. significant Christian or Muslim populations have historically been more anti-gambling, but attitudes are changing in the 21st century.
South Africa Has Been a Leader in Online Gambling
Today, South Africa, in particular, is the largest gambling market in the region.
The country has had legal online gambling since the 1990s, and its growth has been spurred by investment in strong internet infrastructure and increasingly widespread smartphone adoption. Online gambling now makes R100 billion a year in revenues, and there are millions of bettors across the country. Particularly in sports betting, which drives 75% of betting activity. Although online casinos are also on the rise.
Much like South African communities of yesteryear would discuss where the best gambling halls and card rooms were, in today’s digital society, that role is filled by third-party review sites. These sites compare online casinos in a competitive market, so customers can evaluate their choices. In South Africa, operators offer diverse payment options, but also differing game collections and bonus offers. Being able to see everything on one platform is highly useful for prospective players.
Regulation also shapes South Africa’s market, as it does globally. While it remains somewhat split between different provinces, South Africa’s state-wide regulatory environment is stronger than in many African countries. Operators must comply with advertising rules, identity checks, and provide responsible gambling tools, creating a system similar to existing long-term markets in Europe and across the world.
What is the Market Like Today?
Governments have taken a diverse range of approaches to online gambling in the 21st century. Libya, Eritrea and Sudan are among the few countries that have outright banned gambling across their territory. Most governments have adapted, and offer some form of licensing and regulation.
Africa’s gamblers now overwhelmingly prefer betting on sports, particularly football. Mostly online, driven by a younger audience that is more tech savvy and is hugely interested in football. The English Premier League, in particular, is a popular betting attraction at sportsbooks across Africa, as are the African Cup of Nations and the World Cup when they are on.
Although online sports betting is more widely available, even if regulation is patchy, bettors continue to enjoy the social aspects of a retail betting shop.
Grey market offshore casinos and sportsbooks are also continually in operation across many African countries, where they are widely tolerated. Some countries, such as Kenya, have occasionally cracked down on offshore operators in some ways.
However, they are difficult to police, so most countries opt to open their own regulated and taxable markets instead. The total online gambling market in Africa was worth around 17 billion USD in 2025. That is only expected to continue to grow at around 10% per year by the end of this decade.