Economics and statistics

The gambling sector of Ethiopia remains a micron of the economy: there are no noticeable casino projects, the main "white" revenue is concentrated around the state lottery; the industry's contribution to GDP and employment is minimal.

Consumer spending is crushed by inflation, so the average check is low, and demand is shifted to inexpensive products (lotteries, instant draws).

The payment environment is dominated by cash and mobile wallets, with limited use of bank cards; access to offshore online sites is fragmented and statistically unaccounted for.

Internet penetration and smartphones are growing, but telecom restrictions and currency controls are holding back business scaling and cross-border settlements.

Tax effect - point (lotteries, fees/fines); offline investment and employment are low.

To monitor the potential, the following are important: inflation and real incomes, MAU of mobile payments, penetration of 4G/5G and smartphones, the share of non-cash payments, as well as regulatory clarity on online formats.

Without rule and infrastructure changes, rapid growth is unlikely.