African Betting Market Moves Toward USSD and Data-Free Platforms

Placing bets without an internet connection is becoming a notable trend across the African market. Major operators including Betway, Hollywoodbets, and BetKing are rolling out data-free and USSD services that allow users to wager without consuming mobile data.

USSD Betting

The process is straightforward. A bettor dials a short USSD code (for example, 12048463#), which opens a text-based menu. From there, they can select the sport, match, and outcome, with payment processed through mobile airtime or popular regional wallets such as M-Pesa.

After the wager is placed, users receive an SMS confirmation. Once the event concludes, they get another text with the result and any winnings credited. The experience is reminiscent of downloading ringtones or files via mobile services in the CIS during the 2000s.

Data-Free Pages

In addition to USSD, operators also employ data-free technology. Customers can visit a data-free page and access the full sportsbook — from browsing odds and placing bets to joining promotions — without being charged for mobile data. The operators cover the costs by signing agreements with telecom providers, ensuring traffic to their domains or subdomains is zero-rated.

This model has enabled African bookmakers to attract users who previously struggled to access online betting due to high internet costs.

Such solutions are now live across multiple countries — from South Africa to Kenya and Ghana — making betting accessible even where internet access is costly or unstable.

According to research firm GeoPoll, these countries rank among Africa’s leaders in gambling engagement, highlighting why the new formats resonate with tens of millions of players.

However, some locals have criticized the approach, pointing out that while zero-rated functionality exists for betting services, it remains absent in critical areas such as healthcare and education.

* Data-free — a technology that allows access to a website or section without consuming the user’s mobile data.