Uganda youth have scooped the 2nd position in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in as far as betting is concerned, a latest report has revealed.
According to a recent GeoPoll rapid survey carried out among youth between the ages of 17-35 in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa, 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%.
A March 31, 2017 press statement from GeoPoll App, millennials in SSA are using their mobile phones to bet on football and are spending less than $50USD per month.
According to the survey, whilst the rest of SAA youth bet mostly once a month, a majority of Kenyans bet once a week.
Sports betting is the most preferred, according to the report.
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, the report adds.
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%.
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.
GeoPoll survey indicates that 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.
