Ladipo Abiose Akolade: "We are building the tool I wish I had when I needed help"

Ladipo Abiose Akolade, Founder and Executive Director of GamblePause Initiative Africa, talks about the launch of the GamblePause app and why a pan-African solution matters.

Q: Ladipo, it’s great to have you with us. You are joining us at an incredible moment — the launch of GamblePause App. Can you tell our readers what this app is and why you think it’simportant?

GamblePause App is a Pan-African player-protection platform built to give Africans practical tools to take control of their gambling.

It goes beyond simply telling people to "gamble responsibly." Users can self-exclude, restrict access to gambling platforms, access psychological support, find help in their local context, and report illegal operators. We have also designed it with Africa in mind, including support for more than 40 African languages.

The reason this is so important is simple: Africa needs solutions that reflect the realities of African players. We cannot keep importing models designed for completely different markets and expect them to solve our problems.

GamblePause was born from lived experience. I spent nine years struggling with gambling harm, and I know what it feels like to want to stop but not always have the tools or support to do so.

We are building the tool I wish I had when I needed help.

Q: Your app is Pan-African, focusing on helping an entire region instead of an individual community or a country. Don’t you think this creates challenges that could prevent the app from being successful? Why are you confident the Pan-African model is the way to go?

Absolutely, there are challenges. Africa is incredibly diverse. We have different regulations, cultures, languages, technologies and gambling markets.

But those differences are exactly why a Pan-African approach is necessary.

Gambling does not stop at national borders. Digital platforms, advertising, payment systems and online betting operate across countries. If the harm is increasingly cross-border, our protection mechanisms also need to think beyond borders.

Our approach is not to create one rigid solution and impose it on every country. We are building a common protection infrastructure that can be adapted to local realities.

For me, Pan-African means one continent working together while respecting local realities.

Q: The app recognises the need for continuous support rather than just self-exclusion. This is another ambitious task — how is GamblePause App handling the pressure of not only allowing people to self-exclude but also to support them on their journey to recovery?

Self-exclusion is important, but it is not the destination. It is often the first step.

Someone can block themselves from a betting platform today and still wake up tomorrow struggling with the urge to gamble. That is why we wanted GamblePause to connect prevention with support.

The app gives users access to support resources, psychological assistance and pathways toward recovery. We are also building partnerships with professionals and organisations so that someone does not have to navigate that journey alone.

Our philosophy is that you cannot simply close the door on gambling and leave someone standing outside without showing them where to go next.

Recovery requires support, dignity and consistency. That is what we are trying to build around the technology.

Q: What do you envisage the GamblePause App would achieve in the first year of operation and how do you envisage the model’s growth?

Our first year is about proving that a solution built specifically for Africa can work at scale.

We want to reach thousands of users, facilitate meaningful self-exclusions, connect Africans to professional support, strengthen partnerships with operators and regulators, and build a reliable system for identifying and reporting illegal gambling operators.

But beyond the numbers, I want GamblePause to become part of the responsible gambling infrastructure across Africa.

Our growth model is partnership-driven. We want to work with regulators, operators, technology companies, financial institutions, psychologists, researchers and community organisations.

The long-term vision is much bigger than an app.

We want GamblePause to become a Pan-African player-protection ecosystem.

Q: Do you reckon the private sector can learn from GamblePause App’s example?

Absolutely.

One of the biggest lessons is that player protection should not be treated as a compliance exercise or something that comes after the commercial objectives.

A sustainable gambling industry needs healthy players, trusted operators and credible protection systems.

The private sector has technology, data, infrastructure and resources that can make an enormous difference. But those resources need to be combined with genuine responsibility.

I also believe collaboration is critical. GamblePause is an independent organisation, and our independence is important because it allows us to advocate for players while still engaging constructively with the industry.

The future of this industry cannot be built by operators, regulators, technology companies or charities working in isolation. It has to be built together.

Q: Anything else you would like to add?

I would simply say that GamblePause is bigger than me and bigger than the organisation.

This started from my own experience with gambling harm, but it has grown into a movement because so many people across Africa recognise the need for better protection.

We are not saying that we have solved gambling harm. We are saying that Africa deserves to be part of the solution, and that African innovation can lead that conversation.

I hope GamblePause inspires more organisations, governments and private-sector players to invest in prevention, early intervention and recovery.

If my nine years of gambling harm can become a platform that helps someone else avoid the same journey, then that pain was not wasted.

That is the purpose behind GamblePause.

Image credit: Casino Guru News