Dakar’s betting craze as the 2026 World Cup approaches

With the 2026 World Cup kickoff just hours away, Senegal is buzzing with excitement — and not just on the pitch. In Dakar, sports betting has become a digital frenzy. Over the past five years, the sector has gone online, and bettors no longer need to visit shops: a few taps on a smartphone are enough. As a result, more and more people are placing bets. For them, the World Cup has already started.

In a neighbourhood football club, a group of young players debates the outcome of Senegal’s opening match against France on June 16. Anything seems possible. Assane already has a strategy. “I’m going to bet on two different apps: on one, I’ll back France; on the other, Senegal. That way, I increase my chances of winning. A friend called me and said, ‘Assane, I need money, let’s place some bets.’ I told him, ‘Let’s go, let’s try our luck.'”

Mohamed, for his part, doesn’t hide his passion for betting. “It excites me,” he laughs. The World Cup fever has already caught him. This young Dakar resident has already placed wagers on the Lions of Teranga’s opening match against Les Bleus. “I put down all sorts of combinations. First ticket: Senegal wins. Second ticket: both teams to score. Then Mbappé to score for France, Sadio Mané for Senegal,” he explains. “I hope it works out that way, because if it does, I’ll win big!”

“We lose more than we win”

Last month, Mohamed bet a total of 80,000 CFA francs (about 122 euros). Out of that amount, he’s down 30,000 CFA francs (45 euros) net. Small stakes each time, but bets on every league in the world. “All competitions: leagues, Champions League, Coupe de France, matches in the United States, even in China (laughs). There’s no limit, actually. 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. That’s when betting apps flooded phone screens. Practices changed. Malick Diouf, founder of the Dakar Sport Summit, a conference on sports economy, explains: “We are a majority-Muslim country where betting is frowned upon. The fact that it went digital lifted the taboo and allowed people from all walks of life to play without being judged.”

The sector is dominated by three major players: Russian operator 1xBet, French company Betclic, and Senegalese group Sunubet. Since November 2025, these companies have seen a 20% tax on their revenues, and the same rate applies to bettors’ winnings. “The state benefits, but the money collected from sports betting should be used to fund professional — and especially amateur — sports,” argues Malick Diouf.

The World Cup is a highly anticipated period for sports bettors. It is also a time when excesses peak. Associations are warning about rising cases of addiction.