Online sports betting company ClickaBet and mobile operator Cell C have partnered to offer consumers a convenient sports betting service.
Cell C customers can now place bets on some of their favourite sports, by simply dialling *147# via their mobile devices.
Similar sports betting solutions have successfully been launched by other mobile network operators across Africa including in Tanzania, Kenya and Nigeria reaching thousands of sports betting subscribers. The trend is a paradigm shift towards mobile and mobile gaming, which is why the Cell C proposition is so exciting.
ClickaBet, which launched in May 2016, is fully licensed in South Africa by the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board (WCGRB). Since its inception, ClickaBet has captured a major share of SA’s online sports betting market. It offers secure betting and instant pay-outs – 24 hours a day, seven days a week on global and South African sporting events, Lucky Numbers, horse racing and live-in-play betting. ClickaBet also offers the most competitive global odds.
According to ClickaBet CEO Craig Venter, online sports betting has shown a significant increase in activity over the years, with online penetration rapidly growing 5-10% per year and replacing physical betting outlets. “In addition, mobility and being able to bet anywhere and at any time is a key differentiator in the sports betting industry. Customers are looking for convenience and privacy, which this value-added service offers,” says Venter.
“Cell C is perfectly poised to offer a rapidly growing service like this. Making mobile services more convenient is what we do at Cell C and ClickaBet is an excellent way of bringing more entertainment offerings to our customers. We are proud to be the first and only mobile operator in South Africa to offer sports betting via USSD to the market,” says Cell C CEO Jose Dos Santos.
The Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) Gambling Outlook Report (2014-2018) indicates that the total market revenue for sports betting in South Africa is R36-billion in 2017 of which approximately R2-billion is already the online share of the total market revenues, and this figure is anticipated to increase rapidly.
Venter explains that because of this anticipated growth the Cell C sports betting value-added service is strategic to both ClickaBet and Cell C, as it combines sports betting with mobile access and follows proven global trends. As an example, in the UK, in excess of 90% of the sports betting market has already transformed to mobile online.
Dos Santos says: “Cell C continues to lead the way in which customers are able to connect. Cell C sports fans will now have another avenue to bet on their favourite teams. We strive to provide our customers with an outstanding experience, convenience and value on the Cell C network, and we know this service does just that.”
