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Does prize money for Esports fall under the Gambling Act?

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Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA)  is the world’s oldest national federation for esports having been founded in 1985 and is the custodian for all esports in South Africa.

With the development of esports in South Africa, there are more-and-more private operators wanting to start their own competitions. Many of these private operators do not want to seek official accreditation in order to avoid regulatory bodies and the law.

eSports are not governed by gambling legislation and therefore a licence from the provincial gambling boards is not required should events be accredited by MSSA.

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If the event meets the requirements for an eSport event, then the event would be governed by the eSport regulator.

Online gaming has gained significant momentum in South Africa. There are dedicated leagues that host local competitions where entrants pay fees (similar to the Registration Fees) and compete for the opportunity to win cash prizes.

Online gaming on a competitive level is considered an eSport. The recognition of eSports in South Africa has taken great strides by MSSA. In this way, competitive and online gaming is regulated in terms of sporting regulation and not under gambling laws.

In the 2013 White Paper on Sport and Recreation for the Republic of South Africa (White Paper), the definition of sport in a development context includes a broad and inclusive spectrum of activities which people of all ages and abilities can participate.

In 2008, the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Sport for the Development and Peace defined sport, for the purposes of development, as “all forms of physical activity that contribute to physical fitness, mental wellbeing and social interaction, such as play, recreation, organised or competitive sport, and indigenous sports and games”.

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Fortunately, Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) (the official organisation with the rights to give out South African colours to eSports teams at a national and provincial level) makes a clear provision for the recognition of eSports in their constitutional document. eSports are recognised as sports and are, as such, regulated in terms of sporting legislation and not gambling legislation.

Thus, it is MSSA’s opinion that in order to avoid approaching a gambling regulator, a private operator needs to have its event registered as an accredited eSport event.

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Africa

Readen Holding Corp Finalises Acquisition of Morrich Lottery Limited

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Readen Holding Corporation, a venture capital specialising in Fintech, Digital Payments and E-commerce, has announced the successful signing of the final agreement to acquire an 80% controlling stake in Morrich Lottery Limited, a fully licensed lottery operator in Nigeria. This milestone marks RHCO’s official entry into the African gaming market — one of the fastest-growing and most promising sectors globally.

With the closing of this acquisition, RHCO now holds active licenses in Nigeria for lottery, sportsbook and casino operations, unlocking access to an estimated $2.5 billion gaming market projected to grow over 9% annually through 2030. This move positions RHCO to become a major international force in regulated gaming, entertainment and fintech infrastructure.

Ridzky Berg, CEO of RHCO, said: “This is more than an acquisition — it’s a strategic launchpad into one of the most dynamic gaming markets in the world. Nigeria’s youthful population, expanding internet access, and growing appetite for digital gaming make this a prime market. With our proven fintech backbone and seasoned leadership, we’re ready to set a new standard for integrated, secure, and user-friendly gaming platforms across the region.”

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The post Readen Holding Corp Finalises Acquisition of Morrich Lottery Limited appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Africa

Gaming Corps Expands African Presence with KingMakers Partnership

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Gaming Corps signs a deal with leading African gaming platform, KingMakers.

Gaming Corps, a publicly listed game studio based in Sweden, has put pen to paper on a content distribution deal with KingMakers, a leading sports betting and gaming platform in Africa. This new strategic partnership will help cement Gaming Corps as one of Africa’s most dynamic game studios while enhancing the game offering across KingMakers’ platforms.

The deal will see Gaming Corps’ diverse online slot and casino game portfolio integrated into KingMakers’ platform. This includes popular titles like Gates of Hellfire, Wet and Wild Beavers, and Snoops’ High Rollers, each of which showcases Gaming Corps’ commitment to innovative gameplay, creative bonus features and big winning potential.

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KingMakers’ customers will also enjoy Gaming Corps’ selection of industry-leading crash and instant-win games and hits from the Smash4Cash™ selection, including its flagship title, Piggy Smash.

The move will see Gaming Corps significantly enhance its position in the African market, with KingMakers marketing itself as ‘Where Africa comes to play’. KingMakers’s leading brand, BetKing, is one of Africa’s most in-demand online gaming sites, ensuring Gaming Corps reaches more players on the continent than ever.

Danielle Calafato, CCO at Gaming Corps, said: “A key part of our global expansion strategy is to work alongside the biggest and best names on each continent. KingMakers is a major player in the African market with a strong reputation among players, and this partnership provides us with major exposure there.

Our games have always been well-received by African audiences, and with KingMakers, we can continue to cement our status as a must-have game studio in the region.”

Kaan Bulakeri – Head of Gaming at KingMakers noted: “In our clear vision to be the home where Africa comes to play, we as KingMakers believe in strong business partnerships to bring the most innovative entertainment content to our customers.

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Our business strategy is to create this customer value together with global partners as well as locally focused game providers to enhance our rich and diverse offering combined with best user experience.

Gaming Corps is one of the game studios that resonate with our vision and strategy, therefore with their innovative approach we eagerly continue to provide our customers with tailored and localized first-in-class entertainment.”

The post Gaming Corps Expands African Presence with KingMakers Partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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INCENTIVE GAMES SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION DEAL FOR NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, SOUTH AFRICA AND UK WITH LIGHT & WONDER

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Leading B2B games provider, Incentive Games, today announced its new agreement with premium gaming company and content provider Light & Wonder, Inc.

Through this agreement, Incentive Games will distribute its premium pay-to-play games – including new arcade-style titles – to key global regulated markets including the USA, Canada, South Africa, UK, and within Europe via Light & Wonder’s extensive operator network. Additionally, Incentive Games’ popular free-to-play content will be made available to a wider audience through Light & Wonder’s content marketplace.

The agreement brings together two industry leaders in iGaming and the strengths of both companies to deliver exceptional player experiences and elevate customer engagement.

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Ahmed Baker, Chief Commercial Officer at Incentive Games said, “This agreement is a landmark moment in our company’s history. Previously, we’ve worked directly with major operators such as bet365, FanDuel, and Sky Bet. Now, we can distribute our games via Light & Wonder, an exceptional aggregator that we trust will handle our games with care.”

Steve Mayes, Senior Director of Partners at Light & Wonder, said: “We are excited to work with Incentive Games, a leader in gamification solutions. We look forward to leveraging their innovative platform and bringing their customisable crash and fast game content to all major regulated markets.”

The post INCENTIVE GAMES SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION DEAL FOR NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, SOUTH AFRICA AND UK WITH LIGHT & WONDER appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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