Côte d'Ivoire’s LONACI-regulated betting market has been adding new operators over the last couple of years. Hence, a new sportsbook launching in the West African country is no longer news. However, Noventis SAS’s Bet360 is worth paying attention to for one standout reason: what the platform’s design choices reveal about the Ivorian gaming market and its future. 


 

A little over five years ago, a betting company entering the Ivorian and West African market at large usually differentiated itself by offering a functional mobile app, a user-friendly website, and a few of the local payment options. The bar has scaled up immensely. For example, Bet360 launches with an instant withdrawal feature capped at a sufficient 10 million FCFA a month, a comprehensive live casino section, HD streaming paired with live betting, and a phone number-only registration process. The singular fact that a potential betting operator entering the Ivorian market needs to have all of these features is a testament to the palpable growth of the country’s gaming industry. 

While this growth raises the cost of entry for new betting operators, it also gives Ivorian bettors the option of choosing platforms based on product quality, efficiency, withdrawal speed, odd boosts, and unique formats rather than opting for the platforms because they were heavily advertised or merely granted a license.  

What Bet360’s Launch Brings to the Ivorian Betting Market  

Arguably the most fascinating, yet user-driven, feature of Bet360 is its decision to build the platform’s entire payment infrastructure around the country’s default payment system, Mobile Money (MoMo). While this isn't an innovation on Bet360’s side, it genuinely acknowledges the realities of the Ivorian financial market. In Côte d'Ivoire and in a few West African countries, Mobile Money is the default payment rail, making its adoption by Bet360 proof of Noventis SAS’s commitment to delivering a platform designed with the average Ivorian user in mind. 

Another area where there has been a significant shift in the Ivorian betting market is in the licensing process. To run a betting platform in the West African country, you must be granted a license by LONACI (Loterie Nationale de Côte d'Ivoire) and, although being a necessity, it is not something most betting operators incorporate in their marketing campaigns. Bet360 begs to differ in that regard. The Noventis SAS-operated betting platform's messaging and marketing activities treat licensing and the concomitant responsible gaming commitments as part of its pitch. It places responsible gaming at the heart of its communication with users. 

Bet360’s distinctive sports betting formats are another noteworthy offering to the Ivorian betting market. According to the platform, automatic refunds on 0-0 draws and early payouts on a bet when a team takes a two-goal or 20-point (in basketball) lead at any time of the game, have been added as new features. The latter is convenient and greatly beneficial for bettors who have been burned by their teams blowing a big lead in the final minutes of the game. Exclusive boosted odds have also been included as part of the Bet360 betting package. 

The Noventis SAS-operated betting platform offers all major international competitions such as the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Champions League, AFCON, and other notable sporting events related to Ivorian and African football in general. 

What It Means for the Future of the Industry 

Bet360’s launch has been framed by Noventis SAS as the first step into the broader West African entertainment and gaming markets. With the betting platform offering instant withdrawals with a monthly 10 million FCFA cap, distinctive formats, efficiency, a mobile app, seamless registration with only a phone number, and a 24/7 customer service team, Bet360 is providing bettors a genuinely comprehensive platform for all of their gaming needs. And the adoption of MoMo as the default payment rail further reveals that it was designed explicitly with the Ivorian user in mind. 

At the moment, Bet360’s launch is a prime example of a growing market that is now rewarding platforms that actually care to understand how bettors watch football, place bets, and make withdrawals.

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