Insights & Takeaways From SBEA+ Day 3

After three exhilarating days of pioneering discussions and presentations, the 9th Annual Sports Betting East Africa (SBEA+) 2024 Summit, has officially concluded. This premier event has not only spotlighted the cutting-edge trends shaping East Africa's gaming industry but also celebrated groundbreaking insights and innovations.

Notable Highlights from Day 3:

The Rise of Esports & Viral Content Creators

For the first panel of the day, attendees were excited to explore insights on “Esports and the Creator Economy: Unlocking New Avenues for Content and Entrepreneurship”. The discussion, led by Alvin Joseph (Dice on News), explored how Esports is not only redefining entertainment, but also serving as a catalyst for economic growth and innovation across the African region. Faith Dorothy Ahurira (Women in Games Ambassador) discussed strategies to nurture local talent, foster entrepreneurship, and leverage digital platforms to amplify content creation efforts.

Leveraging Culturally-Relevant Marketing Practices

Highlights included a dynamic panel on “Culturally Tailored Affiliate Marketing”, led by industry stalwarts such as Mohammad Yahfoufi (Betika Uganda), where this session illuminated effective strategies to not only engage, but leverage East Africa's culturally and demographically diverse market. “User intent is a bit tricky, as one has to try and understand what users are looking for while searching the internet”, but “by utilising user-data and implementing effective SEO measures, you can ensure that you answer all questions, no matter the context” - Tumaini Maligana , Country Manager, Neo Group

The panelists stressed the importance of using key analytical insights when targeting certain markets, by taking locations, social media preferences, and browsing habits into account. “In order to understand where your traffic is coming from, you first have to take a look at your affiliate demographics, and what social channels they’re using to drive traffic” - Nasif K Balinda , Head of Digital Marketing, Buffalo Slots. By understanding how and why your audience is interacting with your brand, and ensuring that their access is streamlined, user-friendly, and inclusive, you enable more people to locate and utilise your products.

Putting the Power Back in Users’ Hands

Another standout panel took on the topic of “Empowering East Africa: Innovations in Sustainable Problem-Gaming Support Services for Uganda and Beyond, guided by Joshua Araali Nyakairu of Gamcare Initiative Uganda. Experts including Frank Deya (Betcoin), delved into a few innovative approaches, underscoring Uganda's leadership in responsible gaming practices, and setting a standard for neighbouring countries.

By promoting comprehensive self-exclusion programs, operators should enable problem-gaming users to more effectively restrict their own access to gaming and sports betting platforms. This can only be achieved when ample resources and marketing efforts are employed to promote operational transparency, thereby removing the taboo associated with addictive and often damaging gaming habits.

What to Look to Out for Next:

As we end a highly-engaging and forward-thinking SBEA+ 2024 Summit off, we look to set our sights on our forthcoming events, including the All American Sports Betting Summit (AASBS), Sports Betting West Africa+ Summit (SBWA+), and SPiCE Philippines 2024.

Make sure to mark your calendars for next year, as we look to host the landmark 10th Annual SBEA+ 2025 Summit, taking place from 6 - 8 May 2025, in Kigali, Rwanda

For more information and registration details, visit the official website: https://www.sportsbettingevents.com/sbea.