Peter Kesitilwe explains why ICE Barcelona is a melting pot for African gaming regulators

• The CEO of the African iGaming Alliance has highlighted the importance of the ICE Conference as a place where international stakeholders and regulators meet
• He talked about the importance of properly understanding how the gambling framework in Africa works and why such understanding is crucial to the local success of international brands
• ICE Barcelona is an opportunity for international stakeholders to understand local needs, Peter Kesitilwe remarks

Peter Kesitilwe, CEO of the African iGaming Alliance (AiA), has spoken to Clarion Gaming, commenting on the impact the ICE Conference has had in bringing together African gaming regulators and creating a platform where market rules can be addressed head-on.

Kesitilwe spoke about some of the common misconceptions about the African iGaming region:

"The most common mistake is treating Africa as a single market. But Africa is not a monolith: countries differ in language, income, payment behaviour, sporting preferences, infrastructure and regulation. In fact, even within one country, customer needs can vary considerably."

Kesitilwe explained that any brand entering the iGaming market in Africa must understand local economics, such as taxation and payment costs, currency exposure, and compliance, to succeed.

A popular mistake was to assume that a successful European product could also break ground in Africa following the same blueprint.

"Another mistake is assuming that a successful European product and marketing strategy can simply be transferred. A service needs to work reliably on the devices and connections customers actually use, with accessible support and dependable withdrawals," Kesitilwe continued.

Kesitilwe further hailed ICE as the biggest gaming technology event on the international stage, allowing regulators to engage directly with tech, business models, and risks they are being asked to regulate.

"I would also encourage regulators attending ICE to examine what has worked elsewhere and what has produced unintended consequences. International experience is valuable when it is tested against local conditions," he explained.

The goal, argued Kesitilwe, is to see regulators leave with practical ideas and stronger relationships as well as a clearer understanding of how to support innovation and maintain effective oversight.

Kesitilwe believes that having AiA present locally, along with other gaming regulators and industry stakeholders, presents a good opportunity to have all parties involved explain their priorities, including mobile-money access, illegal gambling, regulatory capacity, player protection, and other hot-button topics that define the experience.

As for Kesitilwe himself, he is joining as one of the first 20 industry leaders and decision-makers to be confirmed for the ICE Conference program.

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