Sunbet CEO Simon Gregory Drives African Expansion with Record Results

The African gambling landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, and Sunbet is positioning itself at the forefront of this change. As the iGaming brand of the renowned Sun International Group, the operator recently expanded its reach by officially launching in Namibia in May. This move marks the third major market on the continent for the company, following South Africa and Botswana. The expansion continues the existing partnership with Bede Gaming, a platform brand of the German Merkur Group, which provides the technical foundation for the operations.

CEO Simon Gregory is optimistic about these new territories. Although Namibia has a significantly smaller population than South Africa, the economic and cultural similarities present a decisive advantage. Banking, retail, and consumer behavior in Namibia and Botswana closely align with the South African model. Gregory aims to gain significant market share, noting that the returns are attractive due to the low friction involved in scaling the product across these borders.

Numbers and facts

Sunbet's recent financial figures support this aggressive expansion course. In the second half of 2025, the company recorded an impressive 79.8 percent increase in income. Meanwhile, active player days grew by more than 70 percent. This momentum is particularly notable as Sun International was initially considered a latecomer to online regulation in South Africa. For a long time, the internal consensus was that online licenses should be reserved primarily for land-based casino operators.

"Being digitally led transcends all that we do and all the processes that we have. It’s about how we work and the whole ecosystem." - Simon Gregory, CEO at Sunbet

A substantial part of the current success stems from the strategic realignment presented during the Capital Markets Day in March. The focus is not just on pure online gaming but on a holistic digital ecosystem. This includes modernizing the land-based sector. Since physical casinos still account for 70 percent of Sun International's total revenue, they represent a significant lever for growth. In South Africa, slot machines generate about 80 percent of casino revenue, while table games contribute only 20 percent. Sunbet is actively working to halt the decline in the land-based sector observed since the pandemic by introducing technical innovations, such as replacing slot machines.

Background

Technologically, Sunbet is on the verge of a major leap. Following the conclusion of the World Cup, the company plans to roll out a completely new front-end. This software redesign is built on modern technologies and aims to eliminate loading times. The goal is to simplify navigation and remove friction in the registration process and game discovery. Gregory describes the new system as slick and super-fast, which will be crucial for customer retention in competitive markets like Namibia.

In addition to the expansion in Namibia and Botswana, Sunbet already has its next target in sight: reactivating an existing license in Zambia. The strategy remains focused on putting the right product in front of customers through the most efficient processes. The partnership with Merkur subsidiary Bede Gaming plays a central role here, ensuring the stability and security of the platform.

Why it matters for German players

For German players, these developments in Africa have no direct impact on their daily gaming but serve as an interesting case study in global market regulation. In Germany, online gambling is subject to extremely strict rules under the State Treaty on Gambling 2021 (GlüStV 2021). While Sunbet advertises modern platforms and instant loading times in Namibia and South Africa, providers here must navigate the central LUGAS monitoring system and a strict monthly deposit limit of 1,000 euros.

German customers should ensure they only play with operators listed on the official GGL whitelist. These licenses guarantee safety and player protection under German law. Unlike the more liberal African markets, Germany enforces a one-euro stake limit per spin on online slots and a mandatory five-second pause between rounds. However, operators like Sunbet demonstrate how vital a clean technical platform is for success—a challenge that licensed German casinos must also master through integration with safe servers and LUGAS.

What it means for GGL-licensed casinos

The development at Sunbet highlights the trend toward an "omnichannel" strategy, linking online and offline offerings. For German operators who often run both land-based casinos and online slots, this is a significant signal. The GGL strictly monitors that marketing and player protection remain consistent across all channels. Growth of nearly 80 percent, as seen with Sunbet, is hard to imagine in the highly regulated German market due to stake limits and advertising restrictions. Nevertheless, the cooperation between Sunbet and Bede Gaming shows that German expertise in platform technology is in high demand worldwide and indirectly benefits German players through more stable and secure software solutions.