1xBet and SBC Media: AI Not Used for Player Protection in Africa

Operator 1xBet, in partnership with SBC Media, released a study titled “International Player Safety Index — Africa,” examining the state of player protection across 13 African countries (South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, and seven others). The survey was conducted from October 7 to December 12, 2025, among senior managers of licensed operators, compliance and responsible gaming officers, regulators, and independent experts. This is the second report in the series, following a similar study in Western Europe.

Comparison with Western Europe

The iGN editorial team highlighted the following key findings:

None of the surveyed operators in Africa use AI to monitor players (compared to ~30% in Western Europe)
~30% of operators in Africa provide players with responsible gaming recommendations immediately after a major win (less common in Western Europe)
75% conduct KYC checks (74% in Western Europe)
50% rated regulatory effectiveness at 6/10 or higher (in Western Europe, ~60% rated 7+)

Main Challenges

44% of respondents do not see a unified approach to player protection
Operators cited unclear regulatory requirements as the main issue
Players perceive gambling as a way to earn money; operators rated the impact of this factor on player protection at an average of 7/10
45% of operators using SMS/USSD payments rated the difficulty of monitoring player activity at 5/10 or higher
African markets remain largely land-based, and this segment lags significantly in terms of player protection
According to one operator, the illegal segment in Benin accounts for 25–30% of market revenue, despite there being only three licensed online operators in the country

AI Perspectives and Implementation

AI emerged as the most frequently mentioned topic among operators when discussing the future of player protection in Africa. Regulators from five countries interviewed by SBC acknowledged that their markets are only beginning to develop responsible gaming systems.

Two-Tier Player Protection Model

The study identifies a “two-tier” model of player protection in Africa:

Nigeria and Kenya are already developing comprehensive player protection requirements
Benin and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are at an early stage
In South Africa, a nationwide self-exclusion system is still lacking due to competition between provinces for gambling revenue