Bernadette Ewomazino Advocates for Responsible Gaming and Collaboration in Africa’s Betting Industry
Bernadette Ewomazino, Head of Operations, Gamble Alert Nigeria provided valuable insights into the challenges and strategies surrounding responsible gaming in the African market at the recent Sports Betting West Africa (SBWA+) 2024 summit.
As she discussed her organization’s initiatives, it became clear that a unified approach and regulatory support are crucial for fostering a safer betting environment.
“We’ve been growing really well, I mean, over the course of three years, our existence has been really massive,” Ewomazino reflected on her journey. However, she also acknowledged the hurdles they face, stating, “Some of the challenges we’ve been facing is that we are not able to really do so much because we don’t get the support from the regulators and operators.”
She further emphasized the need for collaboration, saying, “We cannot do it alone; we need a unified framework so that everybody comes together.”
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When discussing the role of regulators in promoting responsible gaming, Ewomazino mentioned, “If we can have some sort of department that has to do with responsible gaming, we can pinpoint who has problem gambling.” She underscored the importance of a more proactive approach to addiction, noting, “We can just do so little, but that little would still go a long way.”
Ewomazino also outlined her organization’s strategic focus areas, sharing, “We have like three major things we do: advocacy, research, and treatment.” She highlighted the effectiveness of their treatment programs, particularly emphasizing “talk-to-talk therapy with those addicted to gambling,” and pointed out the need to educate all demographics, noting, “When you’re trying to talk about responsible gaming, you cannot leave the vulnerable population aside.”
Discussing the integration of technology in promoting responsible gaming, Ewomazino stated, “Technology has been playing a very big role… self-exclusion tools, reality checks, the deposit limits, the time limits—these are really doing wonderfully well.”
Ewomazino lastly called for stronger partnerships between technology providers and operators to maximize these tools’ effectiveness. “You are going to be able to note their limits to what they can do,” she explained, highlighting the necessity of effective KYC processes.
