About this app
What is Piranha Pays?
In January 2024, before locally licensed online operators were active, the Authority said it had recorded about 510,000 monthly cases of Botswanans participating in illegal online gambling.
Sunbet Botswana launched its online sports-betting platform in February 2025 and reported a 4,700% increase in sign-ups during its first month. As this was an operator-reported figure, the company did not publicly disclose the comparison baseline or absolute number of registrations.
The Authority said licensed operators accepted P150 million in wagers in March 2025, paid P135 million in winnings and generated P15 million in gross gambling revenue. It also estimated that only about 40% of Botswana’s estimated 550,000 active bettors were using licensed local operators, leaving a substantial share of demand with unregulated platforms.
What is Piranha Pays?
Revenue from the US and Canada increased 161% year-on-year (or 176% in constant currency) to €56.9 million.
This was due to its partnership with Hard Rock Bet in Florida, and the strength of its games powered by Past Motor Racing (PMR). These are expected to normalise in subsequent quarters.
North America continues to be a strong and prominent region for Playtech. US general manager Jonathan Doubilet told iGB’s sister publication GGB in June that it had exceeded its expectations in the region.
How to play Piranha Pays
Sports betting is billed by the gaming industry as a form of entertainment, but for a growing proportion of the betting public, covering the spread is key to covering the rent.
A new survey from U.S. News is sounding the alarm over Americans increasingly turning to high-risk endeavors, including sports betting, to help make ends meet and pay their monthly household bills.
U.S. News surveyed 1,200 Americans who placed a sports wager within the last 12 months. The media organization found that more than half of respondents (51%) placed a sports bet to help pay household bills, while 21% wagered specifically to cover their rent or mortgage payment.
