Annalisa Samuels is a strategic gaming executive known for her leadership, industry insight and commitment to advancing collaboration and women empowerment across Africa’s evolving iGaming ecosystem. In this interview with John Bamidele, Samuels speaks with clarity, purpose and conviction on the future of women in gaming across Africa.
As the CEO of Women in Gaming and Lotteries Association, she reveals why the association is prioritizing long- term industry impact over symbolism, creating platforms for networking, mentorship, leadership development and sustainable opportunities for women in the industry.
What gap did you identify that justified launching Women in Lotteries and Gaming Africa (WiGLA despite the presence of other similar bodies?
The gap was not in the existence of women-focused platforms, but in the lack of a structured, governance-led continental body that bridges industry, policy, and leadership in a cohesive and intentional way. Many existing initiatives do important work, particularly at regional or community level, but there has been a need for a platform that operates with institutional credibility, cross-border coordination, and direct alignment with industry stakeholders.
WiGLA is still unlike any other platform; we do not move in the same way, and the model we follow ensures equal opportunity while embedding mentorship as a core imperative rather than a checkpoint. The ALGA CEO was receiving requests left and right from across the continent, which further highlighted the need for a structured response mechanism and a formalised platform to channel this demand meaningfully.
As an industry, we should be able to understand and fundamentally address the ideas and systems that continue to limit women’s meaningful participation. When we court women into the industry, they need to be reassured that they are not stepping onto a glass cliff, but rather standing on the shoulders of women who have run so that they can walk.
WiGLA was established to fill this gap by creating a formalised structure that connects women not only to each other, but to opportunity, leadership pathways, and the policy conversations that shape the sector across Africa.
Critics say the rise of parallel organizations risks fragmenting advocacy. How do you respond to concerns that weakens collective influence
We understand the concern, but we see it differently. The presence of multiple organisations reflects growth, not fragmentation. Africa is not a monolith, and different regions require different approaches that speak to their realities.
The key is not consolidation, but coordination. WiGLA’s role is to work alongside existing bodies, not in isolation, ensuring alignment where it matters and collaboration where it creates value. Collective influence is not weakened by numbers, it is weakened by silos. Our focus is to break those silos.
How is your organization structurally different from other Women advocacy groups?
What sets Women in Gaming and Lotteries Africa (WiGLA) apart is its strong foundation in corporate governance and institutional integrity.
Rather than being driven by a single founder’s vision, the organisation was established through a deliberate and structured process, where individuals were carefully appointed and vetted based on their expertise, credibility, and alignment with the mandate.
It is a governance-led approach ensures accountability, professionalism, and long-term sustainability, positioning WiGLA not only as an advocacy platform, but as a credible industry body capable of driving meaningful impact across the gaming and lotteries sector in Africa.
A key pillar of this approach is a firm commitment to transparency. From leadership appointments to stakeholder engagement and programme execution, WiGLA prioritises openness and clarity in its
processes, ensuring that decisions are made with accountability and trust at the forefront. This transparent framework strengthens both internal governance and external partnerships.
Is this initiative about collaboration or competition and where do you draw the line in practice?
This initiative is firmly rooted in collaboration rather than competition. The emergence of various women-focused bodies across the continent reflects the reality that no two jurisdictions are the same, and each region faces its own unique challenges and opportunities. Having organisations that are regionally focused is both strategic and necessary, as it ensures that local contexts are properly understood and addressed.
WiGLA recognises and respects this diversity and seeks to work alongside these bodies in a complementary manner. Collaboration allows for shared knowledge, strengthened networks, and a more unified approach to advancing women across the gaming and lotteries sector.
In this context, competition is not a concept we subscribe to. When the objective is the sustainability, empowerment, and upliftment of women, the focus must remain on collective progress rather than comparison.
What measurable impact do you intend to deliver in your first 12 months that existing platforms have not achieved?
There are many projects currently in the pipeline, but at the top of that list is ensuring unity across Africa. It is not enough for us to exist purely online, nor is it acceptable to overlook the groundwork required to enact meaningful change and deliver real impact across the continent.
WiGLA is focused on building tangible structures that foster collaboration, strengthen cross-border engagement, and create real opportunities for women within the sector. The gaming and lotteries industry is significantly larger than it is often perceived, and with that comes both responsibility and opportunity to drive measurable change.
We are on a mission to enrich and empower women, particularly by increasing representation in leadership and positions of influence. It is powerful to see women occupying these spaces, as it not only transforms the present landscape but also directly shapes and inspires the generation that follows.
In the 12 months ahead of us, we are confident in saying that through collaboration and strategic partnerships with leading regional bodies and outreach initiatives, WiGLA will establish a strong, unified presence across the continent. These partnerships will enable us to move beyond conversation and into action, creating programmes and platforms that deliver real value to women within the gaming and lotteries sector.
Our focus will be on building sustainable networks, driving cross-border engagement, and creating access to leadership opportunities. By working collectively with existing organisations, we aim to amplify impact rather than duplicate efforts, ensuring that our initiatives are both relevant and far-reaching.
How do you plan to engage regulators and policy makers as a credible voice without a unified industry front
Credibility is built through structure, governance, and the quality of engagement, not just through unity in numbers. WiGLA operates under ALGA, which already provides a strong foundation and access point into regulatory and policy environments.
Our approach is to engage regulators through informed dialogue, evidence-based contributions, and by representing a network of women who are actively participating in the sector. At the same time, we advocate for alignment across the industry and see ourselves as a bridge that contributes towards a more unified front over time.
There are concerns about visibility over substance in Women focused initiatives. How do you avoid becoming another event-driven platform?
This is a valid concern, and one we have been intentional about from the beginning. WiGLA is not built to be event-driven, but impact-driven. While events and visibility have their place, they are not the end goal.
Our focus is on building programmes, partnerships, and structures that create sustained value whether through leadership development, stakeholder engagement, or policy participation. Visibility without substance does not create change, and our model is designed to ensure that every initiative is tied to a broader, measurable outcome.
Who funds your organization and how do you ensure commercial partnerships do not shape or dilute your advocacy agenda
WiGLA operates within a structured and governance-led framework under ALGA, and as we engage with partners, we do so with clear boundaries and principles in place.
Funding and partnerships are aligned with our mission, not the other way around. Transparency, accountability, and independence are central to how we operate. We are intentional about ensuring that commercial relationships support our objectives without influencing our voice, positioning, or advocacy priorities.
Would you support a unified coalition of Women in gaming bodies across Africa, even if it means sharing influence and control?
WiGLA does not exist to replace existing bodies, nor was its inception rooted in ownership or control, but rather in service to African women and the advancement of the sector as a whole. Supporting a unified coalition across Africa is not only something we are open to, but something we actively believe in.
It is a bold and necessary step, because real impact cannot be achieved through fragmented efforts or superficial support. The only way to build something meaningful and sustainable is through collaboration, shared purpose, and collective strength.
WiGLA stands for more than its name or any perceived prestige. It exists because of the women it represents and the continent it serves. As Africans, our strength has always been in unity, and it is within that unity that true progress and lasting influence will be achieved.
At a time when industry needs alignment, do you believe multiple platforms strengthen the cause or are they creating more noise than progress
Multiple platforms, when aligned in purpose, strengthen the cause rather than weaken it. The issue is not the number of platforms, but how they engage with one another.
WiGLA believes that progress comes from coordinated effort. Different platforms bring different strengths, perspectives, and access points, and when these are leveraged collaboratively, they create a more resilient and far-reaching movement.
The goal is not to reduce voices, but to ensure those voices are connected, intentional, and working towards a shared outcome. The strength of the industry resides in the strength of the people that occupy it.
