Sierra Leone is experiencing a momentous growth in retail betting shops across the country.
According to the digital marketing research by DataReportal, in 2025 the country had an internet penetration of 20.7% or 1.8 million people. Fast forward to 2026 the number of active internet accessors in the country has grown to 1.85 million or 20.8%. A slightly very small growth in the todays era of AI.
DataReportal has estimated that a79% of Sierra Leons population is still in the dark in terms internet connection. As a result, operators have developed extensive retail networks to reach customers nationwide. One of the largest gaming companies in the market, Mercury International, distributes sports betting and lottery products through a network of more than 1,500 retailers across the country.
Retailers in the country have key hotspots in major urban centers including: Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Makeni, Kono and Port Loko, providing centers for wagering, results and rewarding.
Read Also: Scaling iGaming in Africa: How SIS Betting is Navigating Regulation and Opportunity
The Walpole Street Centre in Freetown
The Walpole Street Centre in Freetown functions as a major payout location where bettors collect winnings. In March 2026, more than Le20m (€850,000) was paid to 30,000+ football betting winners, with Le14m (€595,000) going to retail bettors and Le6m (€255,000) to online players, as thousands of customers collected winnings through retail channels including the Freetown payout center.
The National Lottery Authority oversees lottery activities and supervises licensed gaming operators in Liberia. As of 2026 to conquer the West African country’s market be ready to counter a non online environment as well as be versatile enough to set up retail centers in the major and upcoming urban centers in the country.
