The African smartphone market is on a continuously ascending path, and so is the number of its people connected to the internet. The number of internet users in Ghana, for example, has grown from just 1.8% of the population in 2005 to over 28% in 2016, and it continues to grow. With this newfound freedom to access whatever service and information are available online, people often gain access to services that would be harder to come by without it, like online gambling products like sports bets and casino games. Unfortunately, these are often insufficiently regulated, although they should be. Here’s why.
Access
There’s nothing wrong with checking out the hot promotions at All Jackpots and play with its amazing collection of games and pay by mobile casino websites. The All Jackpots is a regulated international casino operator with a considerable history, being launched in 2003. It has a great collection of desktop and mobile games, too – its downloadable version contains over 700 titles, while its smartphone platform, the All Jackpots Mobile, has more than 150 games to play on the go. It takes its business seriously – the All Jackpots enforces strict security policies, and others to prevent underage gaming and gambling addiction.
The All Jackpots does it part, and the government should do the same. It is the local authorities’ job to enforce rules to prevent underage players from accessing restricted services and to provide support for those with gambling issues. Controlling these phenomena is only possible in a regulated online gambling environment.
Licensing and taxes
Online gambling is quite a profitable business. At a global scale, online gambling generates an annual revenue worth over $30 billion (2015), and it continues to grow. Governments get their share of this revenue through licensing fees and taxes applied to the revenues generated by online casinos and player wins. All this is only possible in a regulated environment, where the government controls its gambling market.
Eliminating bad actors
During its more than two decades of existence, it is believed that the online gambling business has eliminated several bad actors – scammers, less-than-serious operators – from its ranks. Several but not all: there are still online casinos and betting parlors functioning online that don’t offer players any support and will often scam players into giving them money, and not returning any of their winnings to them. Eliminating these bad actors is not an easy task, especially in an unregulated environment.
Having a clear legal framework covering all aspects of the online gambling market is important not only for the governments and treasuries but for operators and players as well. Failing to do so can lead to a chaotic environment where the players’ money – and rights – could be jeopardized.
