Ladipo Abiose on How Lived Experience and Regional Collaboration Are Advancing Responsible Gambling Across Africa
Ladipo Abiose Akolade, the founder of GamblePause Initiative Africa, sat down with iGaming AFRIKA to discuss the gaps in today’s gaming ecosystem and his vision to establish a pan-African framework for player protection during the 2026 SIGMA Africa Summit.
Responsible gambling can be defined as the industry’s responsibility to mitigate gambling-related harm through aspects such as consumer protection and customer care, as well as the promotion of safer gambling.
In the African gaming market, there is a notable gap between legislative intent and actual enforcement. Although many jurisdictions have implemented responsible gaming laws, Abiose emphasizes that the problems of “consistency and depth” are still significant challenges.
To fill these gaps, Abiose launched the GamblePause initiative to support individuals struggling with gambling addiction and encourage responsible gambling practices. The initiative also advocates against underage gambling, implements policies to protect vulnerable populations, and provides help and support needed by the people in the gaming sector throughout Africa.
A key part of this mission was establishing Nigeria‘s first rehabilitation center that was a direct result of Abiose’s battle with gambling addiction for nine years. He pointed out how imperative it was to have specialised care in place:
“I didn’t want to go to a mental health clinic that wouldn’t have lived experience frameworks embedded in its recovery.”
As the industry digitises, the risk of underage gambling has become a focal point for GamblePause. Abiose advocates for moving past “check-box” compliance toward robust, tech-driven oversight. He believes that protecting the youth is the only way to ensure the industry’s long-term viability.
“The children in Africa are the future of tomorrow. They need to be protected, and how can they be protected? They will not be protected by just putting a box on onboarding processes for them to tick and verify. In this age and era of technology, we need to move a step forward and ensure that we are able to have strict technological verification systems to curb underage gambling, because again, that’s where it starts,” Abiose emphasized.
This digital-first approach extends to social media, where GamblePause works with influencers to counter misconceptions. Instead of treating gambling as a problem, the initiative shifts the conversation toward the concept of knowing how to make “informed choices” and “shared accountability” with respect to regulators and operators.
“Players also have a part to play, so you need to first be aware, which we are doing, creating a lot of awareness in that space, and also understand what it means to gamble responsibly,” he emphasized.
The future of GamblePause stands on collaborative platforms. What started as a logo created under severe personal distress developed into the idea of a pan-African brand. Abiose aims to bring all players together across the African continent to create a unified front against addiction and unethical practices.
