NOS
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 07:06
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Elles van Gelder
correspondent Afrika
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Elles van Gelder
correspondent Afrika
Nigeria and Ivory Coast face each other today in the final of the African Cup of Nations. It is not only a sporting highlight, but also a competition on which a lot of money is wagered. Because the appetite for gambling is increasing on the African continent. But who is the winner?
32-year-old Sifiso Makatana scrolls through this weekend’s sports matches on his phone. “Look, there is the final of the Africa Cup. It is very difficult to estimate who will win, so I am not betting on that. I bet on both sides to score in the ninety minutes of playing time.”
It is not the only match he is betting on. In the betting office in the Mitchells Plain district of Cape Town, Makatana leafs through a stack of A4 sheets. All this weekend’s matches are listed. “You can earn the most if you bet on a series of matches,” he explains. “You have to get all of those right to really earn a lot.”
In addition to the Africa Cup, there are also other international competitions on the list, such as the UEFA Champions League, and national competitions such as those of Romania, Thailand and the Netherlands. Such as Jong FC Utrecht against Jong AZ, on Monday in the Dutch first division.
NOSSifiso Makatana
Makatana knows the Dutch teams and regularly bets money on them. “I bet on the number of red cards, the number of corner kicks, whether there will be goals in the first ten minutes. You can bet on everything.”
And he is not alone. Betting on sports matches is increasing sharply on the African continent. In 2023, according to data from H2 Gambling Capital, Africans bet 2.6 billion euros on sports competitions, fifty times more than ten years ago.
The growth is partly driven by the enormous increase in the number of mobile phones and internet access, and by a very young population that loves football. Moreover, it is seen as a way to supplement your income. Makatana works as a security guard at night, earning less than 350 euros per month. “I want to earn extra money for my family through gambling.” He bets ten euros a day. “And I’m winning more than I’m losing, so I’m going to keep doing it.”
Smoother rules
“A recent study shows that the poorer class does not bet for pleasure, but for subsistence,” says economics professor Johan Fourie of Stellenbosch University. “While the economy is barely growing and unemployment is high, gambling on sports matches in South Africa is growing by 30 percent annually. That is huge.”
For some it is their only income. 46 percent of South African youth between the ages of 15 and 34 are not employed. They bet to earn money for food, rent and school fees. And international gambling companies see that market in Africa and the motivation to gamble from the underclass. More and more gambling offices are appearing especially in rural areas and in poor neighborhoods.
According to research The more flexible rules on the continent are also a reason why the African market is attractive to Western gambling companies. For example, in the Netherlands it is prohibited for celebrities to advertise gambling websites. In many African countries, celebrities are allowed to do this. African football legend Didier Drogba from Ivory Coast is an ambassador for a gambling company and Nigerian Afrobeats star Davido is also promoting a gambling website. And in South Africa, the most popular sports TV channel recently launched its own betting platform.
The pot is 1100 euros. If I win, I will have extra money for my children and I can send money to my mother.
Sifiso Makatana
Dangerous, says economist Fourie. “It gives a sense of security when your heroes promote gambling and in the meantime there is not enough talk about the downside.” South African aid workers warn that this is happening an epidemic of gambling addicts. And in the meantime, there is no large safety net to provide assistance for this very vulnerable group, who have no extra money to spend.
Makatana points to small print on the screen of his smartphone. There is a warning that gambling is addictive. He has lost the five euros he had bet on a series of matches yesterday. But he has high hopes for tonight. “The pot is 1,100 euros. If I win it, I will have extra money for my children and I can send money to my mother in the countryside. I will continue.”
2024-02-11 06:06:30
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