Senegal lottery chairman says AI can help build the African market
Technology such as artificial intelligence can help to shape and build up or foster a transparent African iGaming market, Senegal National Lottery (LONASE) Chairman Moustapha Camara told SiGMA News at SiGMA Africa 2026.
AI and blockchain driving iGaming growth in Africa
Camara had been asked how he sees the integration of emerging technologies such as blockchain or AI-driven platforms transforming the lottery operations in Africa.
“I think AI is fantastic,” he replied, as he detailed how Senegal is using it to help with player protection, including utilising data through AI for early detection of players at risk.
Camara said that once a player is detected and deemed a player at risk, they can be contacted and assisted. “That’s what we’re mainly using AI for, to be honest,” he remarked, describing AI as being “fantastic for player protection”.
Regarding blockchain, Camara commented that “trust is everything” in any market. “A market relies so much on trust… Blockchain brings this unique immutable record for every single ticket sold, and every prize won, which is eliminating all possible manipulation.”
Continuing on that point, the Senegal National Lottery Chairman said that he thinks “blockchain will bring transparency and trust,” though he also said that Africa in general needs to adapt certain legislation to integrate esport, mobile money, and online gaming, which he commented is a process that is “taking time in some countries”.
What the African market can learn from international markets and regulators
Camara was asked what insights he thinks Africa can borrow from international gaming markets so that they could be applied to Africa’s unique social, cultural, and regulatory environments.
Responding to this, he remarked that Africa could learn some best practices from Malta’s regulatory framework, and he added that some work has already been done to learn from the United Kingdom’s Gambling Commission.
“We have some training with the UKGC. I think it’s also important to open up and go wherever the best practices are, get them, and try to apply them. At the end of the day, we have a unique local context,” Camara said.
With that in mind, he commented that Africa “should not shy away” from building its own legal framework from scratch, completely adapted to the continent’s needs and therefore not simply copied and pasted, “even if it’s a Western framework”.
How private partnerships can help drive progress
SiGMA News asked Senegal’s National Lottery Chairman what role he believes public and private partnerships play in strengthening the infrastructure and governance of African lotteries in the gaming markets.
He replied that, just in the case of Senegal, it had recently started doing more private and public partnerships because of a belief that the private sector comes with certain technology, such as centralised monitoring and technical platforms, that can improve the local infrastructure.
“They fund the infrastructure, and we operate,” Camara said, as he continued that bringing the private sector in can also help in terms of regulation and effectively making use of data, including using AI for improved player protection.
As the iGaming sector in Africa continues to grow, the wider industry is taking note and exploring possibilities of driving expansion further and harnessing the potential that is there.
Big opportunities attract big decision-makers. From 15–17 February 2027, SiGMA Africa brings together 2,700 delegates, 700 operators, and key industry stakeholders in Cape Town. This is your moment!
