With the 2026 football World Cup kick-off just hours away, Senegal’s capital is buzzing with sports betting fever. The industry has gone digital over the past five years, making it easier than ever to place bets from a smartphone. As a result, more and more people are joining the betting craze. For them, the World Cup has already begun.
In a group of young footballers from the same neighbourhood club, the outcome of the Senegal-France match on 16 June is hotly debated. Everything seems possible, nothing is written in advance. Assane already has a plan: “I’m going to bet on two different apps. On one, I’ll bet on France, on the other, on Senegal. That way, I increase my chances of winning. A friend called me and said, ‘Assane, I need money, let’s do some betting.’ I replied, ‘Let’s go, let’s try our luck.'”
Mohamed, for his part, doesn’t hide his passion for betting. “It excites me,” he laughs. For him too, the sports betting fever has started with the 2026 World Cup about to begin. The young Dakar native has already placed wagers on the Lions of Teranga’s opening match against Les Bleus. “I’ve made all possible combinations. First ticket: Senegal wins. Second ticket: both teams score. Then, Mbappé scores for France, Sadio Mané scores for Senegal,” he details. “I hope it happens that way, because if it does, I win!”
“We lose more than we win”
Last month, Mohamed bet a total of 80,000 CFA francs (about 122 euros). Out of that sum, he has a net loss of 30,000 CFA francs (45 euros). Small stakes each time, but bets on every league around the world. “All competitions, leagues, Champions League, French Cup, in the USA and even in China (laughs). There’s no limit, really. But we lose more than we win, that has to be said,” he admits.
Like many other Senegalese, Mohamed got hooked on sports betting right after Covid-19. At that time, betting apps proliferated on screens. Practices changed. Malick Diouf, founder of the Dakar Sport Summit, a conference on sports economics, explains: “We are a predominantly Muslim country where betting is frowned upon. The fact that it is digitalised lifted the taboo and allowed people from all social strata to play without being judged.”
The sector is driven by three heavyweights: Russian operator 1xBet, French company Betclic, and Senegalese group Sunubet. Since November 2025, these companies have seen their revenues taxed at 20%. The same applies to bettors’ winnings. “The state gains, but the money collected from sports betting should be used to finance professional and especially amateur sports,” argues Malick Diouf.
The World Cup is a highly anticipated period for sports bettors, but it is also a time of excess. Associations warn of increasing cases of addiction.
