African governments lost an estimated $3.55 billion in uncollected tax revenue in 2025, a report by Gaming Compliance International (GCI) has revealed.
The report which covers all 54 African nations revealed that while total online Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) hit $23 billion in 2025, an overwhelming 77% ($17.8 billion) was siphon off by unregulated operators. Only $5.2 billion flowed through licensed channels.
Driven by rapid digital adoption, active online gamblers across Africa grew from 198 million in 2024 to 215 million in 2025 representing 14% of the continent’s population.
However, government treasuries have struggled to capture the fiscal benefits of this growth.
The number of unlicensed gambling platforms actively targeting African consumers climbed from 3,644 in 2024 to 4,129 in 2025. In West Africa alone, total online gambling revenue reached $4.8 billion in 2025, but unlicensed operators controlled 69 percent of the regional market.
Commenting, the GCI President Ismail Vali stressed that curbing these severe tax losses requires urgent policy shifts, urging African nations to build competitive, well-regulated frameworks that actively encourage players to choose legal, tax-paying platforms over black-market alternatives.
Amid these widespread revenue losses, Nigeria emerged as Africa’s most regulated market, successfully capturing a higher percentage of legal gaming activity than any of its regional peers.
Thr country recorded an unregulated market share of 56 percent, significantly outperforming the West African regional average of 69 percent and the continental benchmark of 77 percent.
While illicit platforms remain a persistent challenge, Nigeria’s regulatory framework has enabled the country to lead West Africa in channeling consumer activity into licensed, taxable channels.
GCI Chief Executive Officer Matt Holt noted that establishing these benchmarks provides regulators across the continent with the actionable data needed to tighten enforcement, protect state revenues, and safeguard consumers.