Expert: Product Diversification Key to SA Gambling

Ahead of the 6th BiG Africa Supershow, a gambling conference scheduled to be held at Emperors Palace in November, an interview was held with Sean Coleman, one of the leading experts in South Africa’s gambling industry. Coleman currently acts as the chief executive officer of the South African Bookmakers’ Association, and he is also the Managing Director of a company that provides audio visual and betting data products to licensed betting operators locally and internationally.

Coleman was asked what, in his opinion were the biggest issues facing the South African sports betting sector at present.

“A diminishing product basket and ever-increasing costs,” he replied.

Coleman said that product diversification was key for growth in the African gaming sector, as was the need to move customers from retail to online.

Sean Coleman has many decades of experience working in regulation, first with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and then with the KZN Bookmakers’ Control Committee. In the last 9 years, he has worked in the South African bookmaking industry.

Coleman was asked how he got involved in the South African gaming industry.

“After 15 years at SARS I was looking for a new challenge and an opportunity presented itself at the KZN Bookmakers Control Committee as the Compliance Manager,” he said. “I applied and I was awarded the position.”

Sean Coleman spoke about the upcoming 6th Annual BiG Africa Summit which will take place on November 5th and 6th, 2018. Coleman will be providing advice to the participants of the summit in his capacity as CEO of the SA Bookmakers Association and MD of Betdata.

He was asked what the most frequently asked question he received at previous summits by participants.

Coleman replied: “Why is there such inconsistent regulation across the 9 provinces in the RSA? Why do regulators adopt a position of being disablers on business as opposed to enablers of business in the RSA?”

The BiG Africa Summit will attract operators, regulators, affiliates, marketing companies, software providers and investment firms from gambling industries across Africa.