India’s Nazara Games Acquires 70% Stake in Kenyan NZ World To Capture Money Gaming Market
Headquartered in India’s Financial Capital Mumbai, Nazara Games now has plans to enthrall gamers in Africa. The company has sealed a 70% stake in the Kenyan subsidiary NZ World Kenya Ltd. It has secured a betting license from the ‘Betting Control Board of Kenya’ to operate certain products within the gamut of the permit.
The company has a focus on emerging markets like India, Middle East, Latin America and Africa for its products. It will be launching a real-time sports prediction betting game in Kenya, developed by its investee company Mastermind Sports. The craze for gaming is evident in the African region, with a couple of home-grown names like ChopUp-Studio, Leti Arts, Thoopid and Celestial-Games scintillating the global audiences.
Source: Quartz Media
The major reasons for the booming gaming industry in Africa is assigned to its growing younger population, internet penetration and availability of affordable mobile handsets.
“Real money gaming is popular in African countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon in addition to Kenya, primarily on account of a well laid out and clear licensing framework. We will leverage Nazara’s on-ground network built over the past few years, focusing on the sports betting and fantasy market in African countries, beginning with FIFA 18,” said, Manish Agarwal, CEO of Nazara Technologies.
The gaming company which has operations in 61 countries, will be focussing on gamers between the age-group of 20-45 and is expecting on daily transactions in the range of KSH 30-37 per individual.
Pratik Shah, Founder & CEO, Mastermind Sports says, “Worldwide, real-money sports gaming is becoming mainstream. We’re excited to create a differentiated product experience by leveraging fan insights & our technology expertise. We believe that Africa, starting with Kenya, presents a growth opportunity for us with their appetite for live sports gaming”.
Feature Image Courtesy: TalkEsport
