With Only 6 Weeks Until SBEA+ Summit 2025

Set for 20 – 21 May 2025 at the prestigious Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel, this milestone event will be a catalyst for industry breakthroughs and will set the course for the future of iGaming in the region.

Betting has been deeply embedded in Tanzania’s cultural fabric, long before the emergence of formal sportsbooks and casinos. Over time, the industry has evolved, with land-based betting sparking excitement and paving the way for the booming online betting market. Today, Tanzania stands at the forefront of East Africa’s iGaming revolution, offering vast opportunities for innovation and growth.

Key Insights from Our Chairperson, Thomas Buckley Opar Owuor

Drawing from his experience in the region’s market, Thomas, Founder of Owuor Law and Chairperson of SBEA+ Summit 2025, highlighted what makes Tanzania a key market for the sports betting industry:

“The main reason it’s such an important market for the industry is that Tanzania is a trailblazer in many areas of gaming in Africa. [For instance], it was the first country in East Africa to establish written sports betting regulations. Ultimately, I think the Tanzanian gaming ecosystem makes it very easy for an operator or investor to have an impact on society, and there is also a lot of cross-governmental support for gaming operations.”

In terms of technological developments the industry should be paying attention to, Thomas had the following to say:

“More than anything, what’s interesting for me is the AI component, specifically regarding customer centricity and system efficiency. We’re looking at how it should make customer support easier – how AI can help operators attend to customer needs 24/7 and provide better answers consistently. Also, I see crypto, which is still a hot topic, being further integrated into sports betting.”

Given the political and regulatory attention sports betting is receiving in East Africa, Thomas shared his take on the situation and its wider implications:

“We’re seeing a lot of political and policing interventions coming through after the explosion of sports betting in East Africa. There tends to always be an increase in taxes and the argument that there are negative social consequences of sports betting that need to be mitigated, but I beg to differ. I believe that the problem the government tends to see is broader than that. I think both sports operators and regulators need to be in the room where these policies are being discussed.”

Thomas also believes it’s important for governments, for example, to realise that many young people turn to sports betting because they don’t have many economic opportunities. He also believes that if the government continues to increase taxes, as they do in Kenya , it will only push the industry underground, leading to more offshore betting and money going overseas. There needs to be a balance.

He added,

“Bringing the conversation back to Tanzania, I think they are doing it right. They have a lot of robust discussions whenever there are changes to taxes or policies around betting.”

Here’s why Thomas considers the SBEA+ Summit a must-attend event for every industry leader:

“Dar es Salaam is a beautiful city with great people and great food. Tanzanians are also very tech-savvy and have a lot to teach anyone who ventures out to experience the retail and online sports betting scene. Aside from that, Tanzania’s record of being one of the first in organising gaming means there’s a lot to learn for regulators, investors, operators, marketers, and even community advocates around sports betting and how it should be done. These should be strong reasons for those in the industry not to miss the SBEA+ Summit 2025 in Dar es Salaam.”

About Post Author

Iwo Bulski

Issues related to the gambling business is engaged in more than 30 years. My empirical experience gives me the opportunity to present events and companies from this business with full knowledge and industry knowledge.

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Iwo Bulski

Issues related to the gambling business is engaged in more than 30 years. My empirical experience gives me the opportunity to present events and companies from this business with full knowledge and industry knowledge.