Dakar sports betting fever grips Senegal ahead of 2026 World Cup
Just hours before the kickoff of the 2026 World Cup, Senegal is experiencing a betting frenzy. Over the past five years, the sector has gone digital. No need to visit a shop anymore; a few clicks on a phone are enough to place a bet. As a result, more and more bettors are getting involved. For them, the World Cup has already begun.
In a group of young footballers from the same neighborhood club, the outcome of the Senegal-France match on June 16 is being debated. Anything seems possible, nothing is written in advance. Assane already has a plan: “I’m going to bet on two different apps, one on France and the other on Senegal. That way, I’ll have my chances of winning. One of my friends called me and said, ‘Assane, I need money, come on, let’s bet.’ I told him, ‘Go ahead, let’s try our luck.’”
Mohamed, on his part, does not hide his passion for betting. “It excites me,” he laughs. For him too, the betting fever has started, with the 2026 World Cup about to begin. The young Dakar native has already placed bets on the Lions de la Teranga’s opening match against the Blues. “I put in lots of possible combinations. First ticket: Senegal will win. Second ticket: both teams will score. Then, Mbappé will score for France, Sadio Mané for Senegal,” he details. “I hope it goes 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). On that amount, he cumulates 30,000 CFA francs (45 euros) in net losses. Small stakes each time, but bets on every championship on the planet. “All competitions, leagues, Champions League, French Cup, in the United States and even in China (laughs). Actually, we have no limits. But we lose more than we win, that has to be said,” he admits.
Like many other Senegalese, Mohamed got caught up in sports betting just after Covid-19. At that time, betting apps flourished on screens. Practices changed. Malick Diouf is founder of the Dakar Sport Summit, a salon dedicated to sports economics. “We are a predominantly Muslim country where betting is not well seen. The fact that it has become digital lifts the taboo and allowed all social classes to play without being judged,” he analyzes.
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%. Same for bettors’ winnings. “The state gains, but the money the state collects on sports betting should be used to finance professional sports and especially amateur sports,” Malick Diouf believes.
Highly anticipated by sports bettors, the football World Cup is also a time of excess. Associations are warning about growing cases of addiction.
