For an online casino player in Nigeria, or anywhere in the world, enjoying a game should never come at the cost of their wellbeing. That is the shared belief behind a new collaboration with GamblePause, a Nigeria-founded organisation dedicated to reducing gambling-related harm, now expanding its work across Africa.
GamblePause is a responsible gambling organisation founded in Nigeria by Ladipo Abiose Akolade to prevent gambling-related harm and support people affected by problem gambling. Akolade has spoken openly about launching the organisation after personally experiencing gambling-related harm, and that lived experience continues to shape its work today.
Since its founding, GamblePause has opened Nigeria's first free gambling rehabilitation centre, based in Lagos, and has steadily grown its responsible gambling advocacy across Africa, now supporting individuals in Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya through virtual psychological and online support services, with further expansion into Zambia and a new cross-border partnership in Namibia. GamblePause was also recently named Clarion Gaming's Safer Gambling Charity Partner for 2026, a recognition of the scale its advocacy work has reached in a short space of time.
GamblePause describes its own work simply: empowering lives through hope and recovery. It offers professional help, free counselling and a full range of recovery resources, built on the belief that no one facing gambling-related harm has to go through it alone.
GamblePause's mission is to reduce gambling-related harm through education, research and support services, while promoting responsible gambling practices across the industry. Its vision is a world where people can enjoy gambling as entertainment without experiencing negative consequences to their mental health, finances or relationships. That mission is built on six core values: evidence-based research, compassion for individuals and families affected by gambling-related harm, collaboration with healthcare providers, industry stakeholders and policy makers, innovation in harm-prevention tools, accessible resources and support, and education that empowers informed choices.
GamblePause is preparing to officially launch its own Pan-African blocking app on 18 August 2026. Unlike responsible gambling tools designed elsewhere and adapted for African markets, the app has been built from the ground up around African realities, including support for more than 40 African local languages.
The app brings together several tools in one place:
Once live, the app will sit alongside GamblePause's existing self-exclusion options, blocking tools and support services, giving online casino players across Africa one place to manage all of these tools together.
GamblePause offers a range of free resources built around its education, research and support mission:
All immediate support options are confidential, and players can share as much or as little as they feel comfortable with. These tools are available directly through GamblePause, and are designed to be accessible to anyone who needs them, at no cost.
Alongside GamblePause's support tools, Gamecheck offers its own set of free tools to help players check what they are actually playing before they place a bet:
Used together, GamblePause's player protection tools and Gamecheck's game-checking tools give online casino players in Nigeria two complementary ways to look after themselves: one focused on the games being played, the other on the habits around playing them.
Gamecheck's role in the online casino space is to help players check whether the games on offer are real. GamblePause's role is to help players recognise and respond to gambling-related harm. The two sit naturally alongside each other: a player who knows a game is real is better placed to enjoy it responsibly, and a player who understands their own gambling habits is better placed to know when to stop. Together, they offer a more complete picture of what it means to play safely.
Gamecheck's own research into fake online casinos across various African markets, shows just how present this risk already is in the region, and can serve as a useful reference point for GamblePause's own work in the space. As part of this collaboration, Gamecheck recommends that online casino players in Nigeria use GamblePause's tools together with Gamecheck's own free tools, to build a safer gaming experience.
Responsible gambling is a habit built from small, informed choices: checking whether a game is real before playing it, knowing when to set a limit, and knowing where to go for support if things start to feel difficult. GamblePause and Gamecheck each bring a different piece of that picture, and this partnership exists to make both pieces easier to find.
Players across Africa who want to build safer gaming habits can start with GamblePause's free tools for support, and use Gamecheck's free tools to check that the online casino games they are playing are real.
GamblePause is a Nigeria-founded responsible gambling organisation dedicated to preventing gambling-related harm and supporting people affected by problem gambling, including through Nigeria's first free gambling rehabilitation centre in Lagos.
GamblePause offers self-exclusion options, blocking tools, a gambling spend calculator, a local support finder, a 24/7 helpline and live chat support, all free and confidential.
The new GamblePause app is set to launch on 18 August 2026. The app has been built from the ground up around African realities, including support for over 40 African local languages.
Gamecheck helps players check whether online casino games are real, while GamblePause helps players respond to gambling-related harm. Together, they give players a fuller picture of what safer play looks like.
Published On: Aug 13, 2026
Updated On: Sep 01, 2026
Join operators using Gamecheck SEAL to protect players and grow credibility.
