Following our joint report with Ipsos, on the reaction to the crackdown on gambling in Kenya and the suspension of several gambling firms’ licenses, GeoPoll is pleased to release additional data on the prevalence of betting in Kenya, popular types of betting, and the impact that smartphone ownership has had on gambling. This study was conducted by SMS with a sample size of 600 immediately prior to the July 1 regulations taking effect. To purchase GeoPoll’s full reports on gambling in Kenya or request a custom report on certain aspects of gambling in Kenya or other countries please contact us. 

Prevalence of Gambling in Kenya

GeoPoll’s study found that out of those age 18+ in Kenya, 57% have participated in gambling in the past, including 69% of males and 44% of females. Of those who gamble, 47% are light gamblers who place bets once a month or less, and only 10% of gamblers place bets more than once a day. The study finds that gambling is most popular among males aged 25-34, of whom 77% have gambled in the past, with 58% of this group gambling at least once a week. Females age 35+ are the least likely participants in gambling; Only 46% of this population have ever gambled.

Of those who have not gambled in the past, 39% report that they are not interested, and 27% state a lack of money prevents them from gambling. Those aged 25-34 who do not participate in gambling are most likely to report that this is because of either a lack of money or the fear of losing money – 48% of these participants cited a money-based reason for not gambling, compared to 36% of those aged 35+ and 31% of those aged 18-24, suggesting that this group is interested in gambling but feels a responsibility to not spend their money on gambling.

Mobile Phones and Betting in Kenya

GeoPoll also confirmed that mobile phones have been at the forefront of the gambling industry in Kenya. There are stark differences in gambling prevalence among smartphone owners vs non-smartphone owners, with just 40% of those owning basic phones gambling, compared to 64% of smartphone owners. Females who own a basic mobile phone are the least likely to have gambled, with only 27% of this group placing bets or gambling.

In addition, among those who have gambled, mobile applications are by far the most popular medium for doing so; 88% of gamblers have used their mobile device to place bets, and 55% of those are gambling on their phone once a week or more. This makes mobile-based gambling both the most popular and the most frequently used method of gambling, demonstrating how the ease of access to mobile gambling has changed the betting industry dramatically.

Casinos are less popular, with only 36% of gamblers reporting that they place bets in casinos, and a third of those who go to casinos stating that they do so once a month or less. Cyber cafes and betting shops are also less frequently used for betting than mobile, with only 28% and 33% of the gambling population respectively noting that they place bets through these shops.

Gamblers in Kenya are most likely to bet by themselves, with 40% noting that they place bets alone most often, however 38% bet with friends, demonstrating that even with the popularity of mobile apps betting can be a social sport.

Football Betting Reigns Supreme

In terms of what people in Kenya are betting on, football is the most popular type of betting – 83% report that they bet on football most often, followed by lotteries which 11% report is their most common form of betting. Lotteries are most popular with the older age group, 22% of which say lotteries are their preferred type of gambling, and females are also more likely to bet through lotteries than males. The popularity of football betting has also been found in previous GeoPoll reports on the World Cup, during which 77% of those in Kenya said they had placed bets, and AFCON, which 83% of Kenyan gamblers planned to place bets on.

Demonstrating the loyalty gamblers have to their preferred betting type, we find that 37% report they do not have a secondary preferred betting type, and 26% say sports other than football are their second most frequent source of bets.

Data on Gambling in Kenya

GeoPoll has conducted numerous studies on gambling in Kenya dating from 2017 through to the July 2019 suspensions. To purchase our gambling data or request a custom report on the state of gambling in Kenya, contact us today.

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Among other findings available in the full report, which can be downloaded for free here, the study finds that the suspension will have a large impact on the media industry, which has benefited previously from advertisements from betting – following the suspension it is estimated that the media industry will lose 10% of 2019 advertising expenditure, equivalent to a loss of KES 14 billion.

We also find that the majority of those aware of the betting suspension are bettors, a natural conclusion given the amount of press coverage around the suspension and the effect the changes will have on those who have been gambling regularly. The study finds that 73% of Kenyans that are aware of the suspension are bettors and that a majority are unhappy regarding the suspension. We also find that, while 40% plan to save the money they have been using to bet, 60% still intend to spend it elsewhere, on other items or other betting channels.

As GeoPoll has reported on previously, football betting is the most popular type of betting in Kenya, and tournaments including the World Cup and AFCON bring in large amounts of betting activity. This report finds that a majority of respondents plan to continue watching AFCON, which will be completed with the final between Senegal and Algeria on July 19th, and the English Premier League, however, 18% and 19% will stop watching the respective tournaments following the suspension.

The full report, which includes detailed insights on the suspension’s effect on the advertising industry, as well as demographic profiles of those aware of the suspension and more in-depth analysis, is available for download for free here. 

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Based on a rapid survey conducted by GeoPoll earlier this year, over 50% of earnings by youth consumers is  spent on personal care. This is much higher than gambling. As noted in the report, gambling is becoming popular among male African Millennials in SSA due to their high affinity towards sports and the proliferation of local sports betting players.

As highlighted in that report, this is still a very nascent industry and in the survey on spending habits, only 3 percent of Youth consumers in SSA indicated that they spend part of their income on gambling.

In this deep dive report, we sought to further explore the effects of continued targeted marketing by betting companies towards this age group and get better insights into; exactly how much is spent, how frequently and on what, are the youth betting.

Gambling frequency

Most youth (54%) in SSA have tried their hand at gambling. Kenya has the highest number of youth who have participated in gambling or betting in the past at 76% followed by Uganda at 57%. Ghana has the least number at 42%

The frequency of gambling is highest among Kenyans compared to their fellow Africans. Whilst the rest bet mostly once a month, a majority of Kenyans bet once a week. As seen in the graph below, sports betting is the most preferred. The fixtures for football matches especially the English premier league are over the weekends.

Sports Betting
 

Among the most popular gambling options, football betting reigns in all other countries except in South Africa. Kenyan youths bet the most with 79% of bets placed on football matches.

In South Africa, lotteries are a more preferred gambling choice compared to football, casino, racing and poker.

Mobile usage

The mobile phone has become the most convenient tool for those gambling. 75% of those who bet do so using their mobile phones with Kenya having the highest number of mobile usage for gambling at 96%. South Africa, though having the highest rate of mobile penetration in Africa, has the lowest usage of the mobile for gambling at 48%.

The Jackpot

Kenya is the leader in the most amount of money spent on gambling. Unlike youth in other African countries, most Kenyan youth bet once a week spending about $50 per month mostly on football bets. Youth elsewhere spend less than 50USD a month and most bet only once a month.

The average amount spent on bets is below $50 per month. A majority have never won any amount above $50.

Mobile phones have become the African Las Vegas. Football betting and the popularity of English football leagues continue to grow in a symbiotic way with a growing youth population that continues to be defined by its uptake of technology. Although the stakes are not yet high, all the signs are there of a steady and unfettered domination of sports entertainment and gambling in sub-Saharan Africa.

This GeoPoll rapid survey was conducted in March 2017 among 3,879  youth in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania using the GeoPoll mobile App.

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