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888Africa has announced the acquisition of BetLion.
888Africa is a joint venture owned by 888 Holdings and a separate leadership group, which operates the 888bet brand in Africa. BetLion, meanwhile, is an operator that is mainly based in Kenya and Zambia and has been since 2019.
Founded in March 2022, 888Africa licenses 888 Holdings’ betting and gaming brands with ambitions to expand across Africa’s online markets. 888 is currently live for players in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia through 888bet.
BetLion is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, providing a second HQ to sit alongside 888Africa’s existing hub in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
BetLion’s business model is tailored to the African market. It is tailored to provide high-quality and low-data mobile gaming and sports betting experiences. It is currently licensed in Kenya, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
This acquisition will help bring new local talent into 888Africa and with the addition of a licence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), that should allow for a further customer reach for 888.
BetLion currently has over three million registered customers.
Robert Chirchir MD of BetLion said: “888Africa is a business with huge ambitions on the continent. We’re delighted to be getting involved in its exciting growth journey, and supporting its expansion through our market-leading front-end software and platform and established licences across the region.
“We look forward to working more closely with the team and continuing to delight customers with our joint offer.”
Christopher Coyne, CEO of 888Africa, said: “This acquisition is a critical step as we aim to create truly unique betting and gaming experiences to players across Africa. The talent and technology at BetLion is perfectly suited to our growth model and ambitions, and will help to further strengthen our offering as we look to build market-leading positions across Africa.”
888 recently appointed Per Widerström as CEO.
