Knowledge Is Critical in B2B2C Partnerships for a safe Pan-African Gambling Market Growth
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the iGaming industry has registered an unprecedented boom. As a result, Gia Janashvili, entrepreneur and founder of VeliServices, says operators and investors are now focusing on gaining an advantage in new emerging markets. At the same time these firms are trying to stay competitive in the regulated European gambling market. Africa is likely one of the most important emerging markets, with foreign investments expected to have a significant impact on socio-economic development in Congo, Kenya, and Nigeria. Gia Janashvili has a clear vision of bringing their extensive experience from the global iGaming market to Africa via B2B2C investments with local companies. According to him, the African gambling industry’s long-term success and health are dependent on how well it manages to meet the unique challenges that a rapidly expanding gambling market in Africa creates. Assisting local operators with global market expertise is just as important as financial support, and this is at the heart of Janashvili’s mission. He describes VeliServices’ ability to provide knowledge to local businesses as a critical component in the development of the Congolese iGaming platform PariDirect. During an interview with BusinessDailyAfrica, Gia Janashvili reaffirmed his strong belief in the huge potential of the local iGaming market and confirmed that the company will continue to invest here and increase its collaborations in the B2B2C sector.
Up until recently, the number of gambling and betting platforms present in the African market was relatively small. With few options at their disposal, online customers were mostly satisfied with the Casino and sports betting products they were offered and had no actual reason for picking one website over another. At the opposite pole, operators did not feel compelled to seek innovation and invest in new products and technologies.
Now, only a couple of years later, the global pandemic and its social impact have radically changed all of that. The competition grew rapidly, and, with more and more people turning to online gaming as a source of recreation and entertainment, the need to retain customers is now more pregnant than ever before. And this is where the vast experience of Veli Services and their acclaimed iGaming technology comes into play. Their platform already incorporates a well-regarded online casino, sports betting, and lottery products, and they are eager to establish new partnerships in the pan-African and help operators to gain leverage in an already hyper-competitive market.
Congolese Gambling License Has Opened Up A New Thriving Market
Pan-Africa is believed to be the epicenter of the African iGaming boom in the near future. Gia Janashvili says the Congolese gambling license has opened up new opportunities and he’s confident that “VeliServices will continue developing more partnerships and investing in the pan-African market. We believe that we will see some great things here over the next five years.”
Africa has registered a significant influx of outside investments in the past couple of years, in a vast number of industries, including online gambling. Initial forecasts predict a total investment of 4 trillion USD by 2025, a large part of which will have come from Chinese ventures, focused mainly on energy and infrastructure. As for the iGaming industry, considerable growth can be noticed as of 2021. Most of the key African markets participated in this trend, with South Africa alone registering a staggering 300 million USD in revenue, while Nigeria also managed to hit a new record of 185 million USD. Following in their footsteps, smaller jurisdictions such as Kenya, Ethiopia, and Ghana all reported similar increases last year.
At the center of it all, Veli Services continues to form strategic partnerships with local iGaming operators, not only in Africa but also in the Indian market. With their unique knowledge and technology edge, they can help gambling operators to improve engagement and retain customers more efficiently while at the same time providing a safe gambling environment.
The latter is quintessential in an industry that is constantly expanding, with more and more new establishments surfacing the market on a monthly basis. Courtesy of VeliServices, platforms can now adapt easily to all the specific requirements of any market they wish to enter, by identifying niches and taking into consideration the unique culture of every area in part.
“At every level of the iGaming industry, the most important thing to understand is people. That applies to both how companies handle their user base and how they deal with partnerships. It’s even more important to get this right when moving into a new market, and Veli Services gives companies the tools they need to do just that.” concluded Gia Janashvili.
It goes without saying that iGaming is all about innovation and new promising markets emerge every day. While Europe seems to be focusing on over-regulating the environment, Africa and other regions are embracing it and the multiple benefits it brings to local governments. Without a doubt, more and more African countries will follow suit and the phenomenon will continue growing in future years.
