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Sports betting has become a big deal in Africa, with millions of people placing bets on football and other sports using their phones, websites, or betting shops.
It’s one of the fastest-growing industries on the continent, thanks to more young people, better internet access, and affordable smartphones.
A new report by GeoPoll in April 2025 looked at how many people in African countries take part in sports betting. When this was matched with population data from Worldometer, it gave a clearer picture of where the most betting happens.
Here are the top 6 countries in Africa with the highest number of people betting on sports as first reported by Business Insider Africa.
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1. Nigeria
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Population (2025): 237.5 million
Betting Participation Rate: 71%
Estimated Sports Bettors: 168.7 million
Nigeria tops the list mostly because of its large population. Even though the percentage isn’t the highest, the number of people betting is massive.
2. South Africa
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Population (2025): 64.7 million
Betting Participation Rate: 90%
Estimated Sports Bettors: 58.3 million
South Africa has the highest betting participation rate. Almost everyone is betting, helped by strong betting laws and a culture that supports the industry.
3. Kenya
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Population (2025): 57.5 million
Betting Participation Rate: 79%
Estimated Sports Bettors: 45.5 million
Kenya is one of the most active betting countries. Many people use their phones and mobile money to place bets easily.
4. Uganda
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Population (2025): 51.3 million
Betting Participation Rate: 87%
Estimated Sports Bettors: 44.7 million
Uganda has a very high betting rate, and just like Kenya, mobile betting is very popular there.
5. Tanzania
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Population (2025): 70.5 million
Betting Participation Rate: 56%
Estimated Sports Bettors: 39.5 million
Tanzania has a large number of people betting, helped by a growing tech scene and wide internet coverage.
6. Ghana
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Population (2025): 35.1 million
Betting Participation Rate: 56%
Estimated Sports Bettors: 19.6 million
Ghana ranks sixth. More people, especially the youth, are using apps and websites to place their bets every day.
Together, these countries have more than 440 million bettors, showing just how big sports betting has become in Africa.