- The Intellogix Network has launched Pokeafrica.com which targets the growing African gambling market.
- The network is just over a year old, with software developed in India, and operates under a Curacao e-gaming license.
- The site is running satellites to the International Stadiums Poker Tour and previously ran satellites for WPT Mauritius.
The Intellogix Network has launched a new site, Pokeafrica.com, targeting the growing African gambling market. The network is just over a year old, with software developed in India, and operates under a Curacao e-gaming license.
For a new site, Africa may offer a better opportunity than the highly competitive and expensive European and Asian markets. Global Betting and Gaming Consultants (GBGC) produced a report estimating the Gross Gaming Yield from the continent at US$ 5.14bn in 2011, with South Africa accounting for the largest share.
The continent has seen high levels of economic growth in recent years and there is an emerging middle class with sufficient disposable income to attract online gaming operators. The World Bank expects an average of 6% annual growth for Sub Saharan Africa bringing millions more potential poker players and gamblers into the market.
To differentiate itself, Pokafrica.com donates 5% of its profits to charity in Africa. Through a partnership with Madagascar and the Island of Saint Marie, Pokafrica intends to build a new primary school with its donations. Site updates will create a photographic journal of the construction.
The site is running satellites to the International Stadiums Poker Tour (ISPT) event in Wembley scheduled to begin in May, and it also partnered with the World Poker Tour (WPT) to run online satellites for the WPT Mauritius event that ran last month. In a marketing coup, the event was won by Pokafrica player Eddy Nicol.
Pokafrica is offering 100% deposit bonus, 50% of rakeback and a $200 welcome freeroll to entice African players to sign up. PokerScout does not track the network, so traffic numbers are unknown but at the current rate of economic growth, the 54 UN recognized countries in the region are likely to become a significant market for online gaming.
