While gambling has always been a thing in Africa, it has become much more pronounced in the contemporary world. In yesteryears, the whole village would know when one places a bet, news of a father using his cow (or even his wife!) to place a bet on the outcome of a football match or a fight travelled fast. However, even when wagering with a huge amount of cash, no one really knows if you have placed a bet or not as there are millions of people nowadays who place bets. In Africa, the bulk of the action does not really reside in casinos as is the case with Europe, Asia, and the US rather all the action is found in sports betting halls.
Sportingbet (South Africa)
In South Africa, Sportingbet betting halls are some of the most popular in the country as they are spacious and accommodate dozens of people. The halls have large HD television sets inside that broadcast live many sporting events, particularly soccer followed by cricket and tennis. Occasionally, other sports such as athletics, golf, rugby, and basketball are also shown. While you are able to wager online, you can also use the tellers at the betting hall who can place bets on your behalf. There are also sections that show greyhound racing and also offer live betting when there are live games. South African betting halls used to fill to capacity but that is no longer the case owing to online betting. However, during weekends, you can find a packed betting hall. Visiting the betting hall is different from visiting a casino as there is a different feel inside a betting hall.
Bet9ja (Nigeria)
Nigeria is one of Africa’s most populous countries, home to 184 million people. Over half of this population, i.e. those over the age of 18 are unemployed or underemployed and they view sports betting as a way of sustaining themselves. Nigeria is a soccer fanatic country and in the Nigerian sports betting halls, all you will find are football matches being shown on the huge television sets inside the betting halls. Inside most of the halls, there is also horseracing and greyhound racing sections and a section where bettors can engage in live betting when a game is being played. The betting hall is full of activity in Nigeria any time of the day, on your next visit to the country, you need to look for a nearby betting hall and experience how it feels to be part of the action.
AfricaBet (Zimbabwe)
Much like Nigeria, Zimbabwe’s youth find themselves out of employment due to the state of the country’s economy and as such, they flock to sports betting as a way of sustaining themselves. The country’s largest betting company is AfricaBet which has shops all around the country. Most of AfricaBet betting halls accommodate hundreds of people and they are always full to capacity any day of the week. You can place bets on any sport from soccer, tennis, rugby, cricket, and basketball among many others. They also offer live betting and the company has recently started providing other casino games such as roulette and slots in its betting halls. Novelty betting has also been introduced but the uptake is low. AfricaBet betting halls offer visitors to Zimbabwe a chance to mix and mingle with Zimbabweans in a place they are found in their hundreds.