Leading the Charge: A Conversation with the New CEO of the African iGaming Alliance
In an exclusive interview with iGaming AFRIKA, Peter Emolemo, the newly appointed CEO of the African iGaming Alliance, shared his vision for unifying the continent’s gaming industry, lessons from his leadership at the Botswana Gambling Authority, and insights on how Africa can transition from being a participant in global gaming conversations to becoming a trendsetter.
iGaming AFRIKA: Congratulations on your recent appointment as the CEO of the African iGaming Alliance. Please share with us what the Alliance does, its vision, its mission, and what it’s all about.
Peter Emolemo: Thank you very much for that congratulatory note. Indeed, I’ve been recently appointed the CEO of the African iGaming Alliance, which is the continent’s industry body or trade body, seeking to unify and represent licensed and regulated betting and gaming operators. Our mission is to harmonize Africa’s diverse gaming market by promoting responsible gambling, a sustainable taxation model, consumer protection, and effective enforcement against illegal operators.
The overarching vision is to position Africa as a globally respected hub of regulated iGaming where operators, regulators, and governments collaborate to unlock economic growth, innovation, and safer gaming experiences for all. So, very important issues of player protection and responsible gaming in the sector are what we stand for.
iGaming AFRIKA: You previously served as the CEO of the Botswana Gambling Authority. How would you describe your experience in that space? And now that you’re stepping into a new, bigger, Pan-African role, what are some of the things that you anticipate this broader responsibility will unfold?
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Peter Emolemo: Yes, indeed, I served as the CEO of the Gambling Authority in Botswana. That was both a privilege and a responsibility. I was able to oversee the industry’s transformation from a casino-dominated market worth over $20 million into a diversified sector forecasted to exceed $1 billion by the end of the year. I led the transformation by introducing online gaming and licensed global operators, some of which are listed on international stock markets. I embedded responsible gambling programs that became award-winning across Africa. You’ll agree with me—at the inaugural Gaming Tech Conference in Kenya, the Gambling Authority’s responsible gambling program was voted the best in Africa, and we won an award. We continue to win awards, as far as the AGE Lagos Expo in Nigeria.
This experience taught me the value of marrying robust regulation with industry facilitation, which is a balance I intend to carry into this new Pan-African role. Some of the key lessons from Botswana—the most important ones I bring forward—are the power of proactive regulation, anticipating market trends like online betting and esports before they take root informally; issues of stakeholder engagement, open dialogue between government, operators, and communities to build trust and compliance; and responsible gambling as the cornerstone of regulation.
Growth is sustainable only when players are protected. The industry will thrive when players are protected because, as an operator, you don’t want problem gamblers—otherwise responsible gamblers will no longer participate. So, it is very, very important to protect players. Those are some of the key lessons, and these lessons are scalable across the continent, even though each market is unique. As we said when we started our conversation, this is a step up, an elevation. I will basically be replicating the lessons and transformations I achieved in Botswana across Africa.
iGaming AFRIKA: You mentioned that one of the objectives of the Alliance is to represent licensed and regulated betting and gambling operators. As a long-time advocate for responsible gambling, what are some of the initiatives you will ensure the Alliance puts in place to promote trust, accountability, and transparency within the industry?
Peter Emolemo: At the African iGaming Alliance, our Responsible Gambling agenda will be practical and action-oriented. It will include developing Pan-African Responsible Gambling standards with regulators. We will work hand-in-hand with regulators and national associations and partner with operators to launch digital self-help and exclusion tools such that if Operator X or Operator Y has excluded a player, that player cannot go to either Y or X. These digital tools are essential because iGaming is mainly digital, accessible via phones.
Another initiative is supporting governments with education and awareness campaigns. This is very important—responsible gambling must go hand-in-hand with education and awareness initiatives across Africa. We will also work on building a continental monetary framework, using technology to combat illegal markets and safeguard consumers. Problem gamblers often come from black markets, not licensed operators, which makes it difficult for governments and operators to monitor them. Once reported as problem gamblers, governments and regulators may tend to blame licensed operators. Trust, transparency, and accountability must become non-negotiable across all African states.
iGaming AFRIKA: Africa is often a participant in global conversations around gaming. How can Africa move from being participants to trendsetters in these discussions?
Peter Emolemo: Africa has often been a recipient of global gaming models, but our demographics and digital adoption put us in a position to lead. With the world’s youngest population, high mobile penetration, and a dynamic FinTech ecosystem, we can pioneer new responsible business models, innovative payment systems, and consumer-first regulatory frameworks. The shift comes when we stop adapting what works elsewhere and start exporting Africa’s solutions to the world. This is how we move from being participants to trendsetters.
iGaming AFRIKA: The regulatory landscape in Africa is fragmented, with each country having its own regulations. Now that you are in a continental role, how do you plan on working with these diverse regulations to create harmonized standards across African countries?
Peter Emolemo: Yes, that is quite a headache. The diversity of Africa’s regulatory landscape is both a challenge and an opportunity. Our approach from the Alliance’s point of view will be to advocate for baseline harmonized standards covering licensing, taxation, and consumer protections while respecting sovereign differences. We will facilitate more engagement between regulators, support cross-border knowledge sharing, and promote regional blocs like SADC and ECOWAS as vehicles for regulatory alignment.
iGaming AFRIKA: How would you define success in your current role in one, two or even ten years from now?
Peter Emolemo: In the first year, the focus will be on establishing the Alliance as a credible voice of the industry, completing membership onboarding, and launching our first responsible gambling framework. The second year will focus on securing collaborative agreements with at least ten regulators and publishing Africa’s first iGaming industry report. Moving further, by year five, I envision achieving continent-wide recognition as the leading industry body with harmonized tax and regulatory standards implemented across multiple regions and demonstrable reductions in illegal gambling markets. This is what I envision for the Alliance.
