One Week Until SBWA+ Summit 2026 And Gaming Event Francophone Africa

The 11th annual Sports Betting West Africa+ (SBWA+) Summit and second Gaming Event Francophone Africa (GEFA) will take place from 14–16 October 2026 at the King Fahd Palace Hôtel in Dakar, Senegal.

The co-located events will bring together operators, state lottery executives, regulators, legal professionals and technology providers from across Africa for three days of conference sessions, networking and the SBWA+ Eventus Awards.

Discussions will cover areas including multi-jurisdictional licensing, responsible gambling, mobile money, payments, data security, affiliate marketing, esports and the development of Francophone African gaming markets.

Three-Day Programme Targets African Gaming Markets

The event will begin on 14 October with a networking reception for delegates, regulators and industry representatives, followed by the SBWA+ Eventus Awards 2026 ceremony.

On 15 October, the SBWA+ conference stream will include sessions examining gaming taxation, responsible gambling, data security, platform integrity and marketing and affiliate strategies within regulated markets.

The GEFA stream will focus on Senegal’s position within the African gaming sector, opportunities for operators across French-speaking Africa and the role of mobile money, instant payouts, payment security and localisation.

The final day will cover the use of AI in player engagement, social media, affiliate partnerships, esports and sports betting, before concluding with a discussion on the next five years of Africa’s betting industry.

Speakers From Across African Gaming Sector

The speaker line-up includes representatives from operators, regulators, lotteries, suppliers, legal practices and technology companies.

Among those scheduled to participate are Moustapha Camara, chairman of the board of directors at Senegal National Lottery (LONASE); Patrick Kwakye, deputy director of Investigations, Inspection, Compliance and Enforcement at the Gaming Commission of Ghana; Ariel Amichia, head of planning, foresight, monitoring and evaluation at Loterie Nationale de Côte d'Ivoire (LONACI); and Charles Tape, director of operations, marketing and communication at Loterie Nationale du Bénin.

Industry speakers include Solomon Godwin, head of Africa at Booming Games; Ekaterina Mayorova, head of region – Africa at QTech Games; Simon Pepper, chief product officer at Tola; Vera Sherman, online manager at Premier Bet Liberia; and Iretiayo Bola Obasunloye, legal and compliance officer at KC Gaming Networks Ltd (Bet9ja).

Geoffrey Muindi, managing director of Gaming NewsByte and Africa brand ambassador for Eventus International, will serve as SBWA+ 2026 chairperson, while Robert Brassai, principal consultant at Sense4Gaming, will chair GEFA 2026.

SBWA+ Eventus Awards Shortlist Set For Release

The SBWA+ Eventus Awards 2026 will recognise companies and individuals across the West African gaming sector, following the closure of nominations on 2 October.

The official shortlist is scheduled to be released on 7 October, ahead of the awards ceremony on 14 October.

The main categories include Supplier of the Year, Innovation of the Year, Operator of the Year, Leader in Virtual Sports, Leader in Online Casino, Leader in Responsible Gambling, Leader in Sports Betting, Outstanding Industry Influencer, Outstanding Consultant and Outstanding Speaker.

Two additional categories will recognise women in the industry: Innovation Queen of West Africa and West Africa’s Rising Star in Leadership.

Final Registration Opportunities Remain

Delegate passes, VIP upgrades and exhibition opportunities remain available ahead of the event.

Qualified African operators and affiliates can apply for complimentary passes, subject to approval and availability, while standard and VIP delegate passes provide access to conference streams, networking lunches, refreshment breaks and the official welcoming evening.

Sponsorship and exhibition packages are also available for businesses seeking a presence at the two events.