The inaugural iGaming AFRIKA Summit 2026, East and Central Africa’s most significant convergence of gaming operators, regulators, technology innovators, and investors, successful closed on Wednesday, 6 May in Nairobi.
Spanning three days from 4–6 May 2026, the summit gathered senior industry voices from across the African continent and beyond to address the most pressing opportunities and challenges defining the region’s rapidly expanding gaming ecosystem.
Themed around sustainable growth, regulatory harmonization, and the digital transformation of gaming, the IGA Summit 2026 features plenary keynote addresses, high-level panel discussions, exhibition showcases, and networking events designed to foster cross-border collaboration and policy dialogue across Africa’s gaming sector.
Charting africa’s gaming future through opportunity, regulation and taxation
The Summit was officially opened with a series of high-level keynote addresses that set a confident and forward-looking tone. Jeremiah Maangi, CEO of iGaming AFRIKA, delivered the opening speech, framing Africa’s gaming sector as one of the most compelling investment frontiers of the decade.
“Africa’s gaming industry is no longer a frontier market, it is a growth market,”Jeremiah Maangi, CEO, iGaming AFRIKA, said. “The infrastructure is maturing, the talent is here, and the appetite from both operators and players has never been greater. The IGA Summit exists to ensure that growth is structured, inclusive, and lasting.”
Maangi underscored that the convergence of mobile penetration, a young population, and increasing disposable incomes across the continent presents a generational window of opportunity for operators, investors, and technology providers willing to commit to the African market.
Regulation as an enabler
The Summit Keynote Address was delivered by Peter Karimi, Director General of the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) of Kenya. Speaking to a packed main stage, Karimi positioned smart regulation not as a constraint on industry growth but as its most essential enabler, a sentiment that resonated strongly with delegates from across the continent.
“Effective regulation is not the enemy of growth” Karimi said. “It is the foundation upon which sustainable growth is built. Our mandate at the GRA is to create a framework that protects players, attracts legitimate operators, and ensures that the benefits of this industry are felt across Kenya’s economy. We are committed to building a regulatory environment that is clear, fair, and responsive to innovation.”
Governing for the future
Joseph Kirui Limo, Chairperson of the Gambling Regulatory Authority, officially opened the Summit with a landmark address focused on the intersection of governance, taxation policy, and industry credibility. His remarks drew significant attention from the assembled regulators, operators, and policymakers.
“Taxation and licensing are not merely revenue instruments, they are statements of intent by governments about what kind of gaming industry they want to build,” Limo said. “When tax structures are punitive or unpredictable, they drive operators underground and deprive governments of the very revenues they seek. We must work together regulators, operators, and governments to design tax frameworks that are competitive, transparent, and that incentivize compliance over evasion.”
Also in attendance was Mr. Joseph Otieno, Kenya Revenue Authority Chief Manager ICT, Media, Telecommunications, Betting and Gaming Taxpayer Compliance where he emphasized the critical role of the players adhering to regulations including taxation where he also commended the revenue growth in the gaming industry.
“As Kenya Revenue Authority we have been able to grow with the industry. We have transcended revenue collection and as of FY2024/25 we were able to collect KES 31 billion from just the betting and gaming sector and that may have been due to legislation and tax regime that existed at the time.”
Panel highlights: regulation, licensing and taxation in focus
The event also featured different panel discussions from key industry players from across the content and beyond.
Panelists examined the fragmented nature of gaming regulation across Africa and the urgent need for harmonized licensing frameworks that facilitate legitimate cross-border operations. The discussion surfaced key tension points between national fiscal interests and the competitiveness of individual markets in attracting foreign direct investment.
