Choplife Gaming has received regulatory approval from PMU Mali to launch betPawa in Mali, giving the company its first licensed foothold in the West African country. With this approval, Mali becomes Choplife’s 10th African licensed market, expanding its portfolio across Africa from Nigeria to Rwanda and from Tanzania to The Gambia.

The approval, announced this week, enables betPawa to begin operating legally in Mali. PMU Mali (short for Pari Mutuel Urbain Mali) is the country’s state gaming regulator, and its clearance is a required gateway for any sports betting or gaming business seeking to operate under a compliant framework.

Olu Odeneye, Chief Operations Officer of Choplife Gaming, said the company has been preparing for the Mali launch as part of a deliberate expansion strategy focused on regulated African markets. He said the company is grateful to PMU Mali for its engagement and confidence throughout the licensing process, adding that Mali is a significant market with a youthful population and strong potential for long-term, compliant growth.

Odeneye added that Choplife expects the launch to deliver entertainment value while supporting jobs, partnerships, and broader economic benefits. Malian users will be able to access betPawa’s mobile-first platform, which includes sports betting, instant games, and online casino services. The platform also supports mobile money payments and includes responsible gaming tools.

Choplife says the product is designed specifically for African users, using simplified onboarding, lightweight infrastructure, and fast deposits and withdrawals built around mobile money systems that are already embedded in everyday financial life across the continent. Choplife Gaming is chaired by Oluwatosin Ajibade, known professionally as Mr. Eazi, who has spent several years transforming his entertainment profile into a technology and gaming business.

In January 2025, Choplife Gaming signed a four-year licensing agreement with pawaTech Group to operate the betPawa brand across six African markets. That deal made Mr. Eazi’s company an operator with the licensing architecture needed to expand aggressively, rather than simply acting as an ambassador. Before the Mali license, Choplife had already secured regulatory approvals in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Benin, Liberia, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone.

The Mali approval is the tenth market in which the company now holds a license. Choplife operates using two brand structures. In The Gambia and Sierra Leone, it runs its wholly owned Chopwin brand. In Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Benin, and now Mali, it operates the betPawa brand under the pawaTech licensing arrangement. Liberia, which received its license in January 2026, was the most recently disclosed market before Mali.

The timing of the Mali expansion aligns with broader momentum in Africa’s digital gaming sector. Mobile access across the continent has grown steadily over the past decade, and the spread of mobile money has helped remove a key adoption barrier for digital entertainment: the lack of convenient payment options. In many markets where bank account ownership is limited but mobile money is widespread, a mobile wallet-integrated betting and gaming platform can reach customers in ways that credit card-dependent international services often cannot.

Choplife says platforms like betPawa are designed to capitalize on this payment and infrastructure reality. Choplife stated that it will work closely with regulators, telecom operators, payment providers, and local stakeholders in Mali to ensure compliance, consumer protection, and responsible gaming standards as it scales the market.

Mali’s gaming market has historically been less developed than some neighboring countries, partly because its regulatory framework has taken longer to fully formalize. PMU Mali’s decision to approve betPawa suggests the regulator is now prepared to license and oversee digital gaming operators under a more structured compliance model, which is a prerequisite for large-scale entry by serious foreign and pan-African players.

Africa’s digital gaming sector is also drawing increased attention from both African entrepreneurs and international capital. Analysts project that Africa’s online betting market could grow to several billion dollars annually over the next decade as mobile infrastructure improves and regulation matures across more countries.

Choplife’s expansion suggests it is positioning itself for the next wave of growth, targeting younger populations with rising smartphone access and increasing interest in digital entertainment aligned with local payment conditions.

Choplife’s ten-market licensed footprint was achieved within roughly 18 months of its January 2025 betPawa franchise agreement, making it one of the fastest-expanding African-owned gaming operators by geographic reach. Whether this momentum turns into durable market share will depend on how effectively the company builds local partnerships and strengthens brand recognition in each new territory.