The Association of Gaming Regulators in Africa (AGRA) is running a three-year project to write one set of gambling standards for the continent. Its director says the work should finish in about two years. No African country has formally adopted the standards yet.
Reducing technical barriers to cross border trade
AGRA's director, Weldon Koros, has said the biggest problem in African gambling regulation is that rules are split between countries. Each country builds its own technical framework, so a supplier can face the same testing and certification again in every market it enters.
The African Gambling Standards Harmonisation Project aims to cut those barriers and give operators a more predictable place to do business. AGRA's Technical Standards Committee leads it, bringing together national regulators and standards bodies, which will review and maintain the rules once they are written.
How the standards are being built
AGRA signed an agreement with the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) in Nairobi in February last year. Under it, the two bodies will write harmonised gambling standards through the ARSO process, with consultation from government agencies, operators, consumers and civil society groups. The agreement aims to speed up market access and lower technical barriers to trade, though the ARSO announcement does not give a timeline or say how the standards will be formally adopted.
Illegal gambling across borders
Koros says split rules also make it harder to fight illegal gambling that crosses borders. That fight is one of AGRA's top three priorities, alongside work with regulators abroad on money laundering and addiction.
What suppliers and operators should do now
For now, suppliers and operators should not plan around one certificate covering many countries, since the standards are not final and no country has adopted them. It is worth keeping test reports and technical files clear and complete, since a second regulator will find them easier to accept once standards line up, and following your own regulator and national standards body, since they are the ones taking part in the consultations.
Some African markets also have more than one regulator. Our report on who regulates betting in Nigeria shows how that works in one market.
What to watch next
The interview we read does not say whether approved test certificates will be recognised across borders, and we found no published draft standard. The first public drafts and consultation calls will be the signal that the project is moving from planning to rules. We will update this report when AGRA or ARSO publish them.
FAQ
Are the AGRA standards in force?
No. They are still being developed, and no African country has formally adopted them.
Who is writing them?
AGRA's Technical Standards Committee, working with ARSO under an agreement signed in Nairobi.
How long will it take?
AGRA's director describes a three-year project that should finish in about two years.
