ChatBet Partners with iSolutions to Scale WhatsApp and Telegram Betting Across African Operators

ChatBet, the WhatsApp and Telegram-native sports betting platform built by Bola Group, has partnered with iSolutions to extend its AI-powered conversational betting technology to sportsbook operators across Africa, beginning in Zambia and targeting Zimbabwe and Malawi next.

• ChatBet launched in Zambia in April 2026 as Africa's first WhatsApp-native betting platform
• iSolutions is a B2B sports betting technology provider operating across sub-Saharan Africa
• The partnership enables operators on iSolutions' platform to integrate ChatBet as a front-end channel
• Supported channels: WhatsApp, Telegram, and web or app chat widgets
• Bets can be placed via text or voice note, with no app download required
• Next expansion markets: Zimbabwe and Malawi

What Is ChatBet and Why Was It Built?

ChatBet was developed by Bola Group, a betting operator with roots in sub-Saharan Africa. The platform was built in response to three structural barriers that limit how many Africans can access licensed digital sports betting: limited smartphone app storage, high mobile data costs, and the complexity of navigating unfamiliar betting interfaces on entry-level handsets.

Rather than building another app, ChatBet routes the entire betting experience through messaging platforms that players already use every day. A bettor in Zambia can open WhatsApp, send a message or voice note naming a market, and complete a transaction without downloading anything or navigating a website. The system uses artificial intelligence to parse natural-language input, construct a bet slip, and confirm the wager in the same conversation thread.

How Does the ChatBet and iSolutions Partnership Work?

iSolutions provides a sportsbook platform used by multiple operators across the African continent. Under the new agreement, those operators can now offer ChatBet as a front-end betting channel, connecting their odds feeds and account management systems to WhatsApp and Telegram through ChatBet's API layer.

For operators, the practical benefit is reaching bettors who would not otherwise download an app or visit a mobile site. For players, it means accessing fully licensed markets inside the messaging environment they already use and trust. The deal effectively transforms ChatBet from a single-brand product into a B2B technology layer available across iSolutions' operator network.

"The opportunity is not to force players into another app, but to allow them to discover, engage and transact through conversations they already understand." Josh Swerdlow, CEO, ChatBet

Why Is Africa the Right Market for Conversational Betting?

Sub-Saharan Africa combines some of the world's fastest-growing sports betting populations with conditions that make traditional digital platforms difficult to use. Smartphone penetration is rising quickly, but mobile data remains expensive in many markets, and a large share of active devices are entry-level handsets with limited storage capacity.

WhatsApp, by contrast, is used daily by hundreds of millions of people across the continent and is optimised to run on minimal data allowances. Bola Group CEO Hilton Hasson has described messaging platforms as solving three barriers simultaneously: accessibility, data cost, and underserved digital betting infrastructure. The FIFA 2026 World Cup, which ran from June to July 2026, also tested the model under peak demand conditions, with ChatBet positioning itself as the only operator in the market enabling bets via voice note during the tournament.

"Conversational betting is particularly well suited to Africa and other mobile-first markets." Filippo Ceci, Director, iSolutions

How ChatBet Compares to Traditional African Betting Platforms

Feature	ChatBet	Traditional App	Mobile Web
App download required	No	Yes	No
Data usage per session	Very low (WhatsApp)	High	Medium
Voice-note betting	Yes	No	No
Entry-level handset compatible	Yes	Limited	Partial
Available via Telegram	Yes	No	No

What Markets Are Next?

ChatBet is live in Zambia and is targeting Zimbabwe and Malawi as its next expansion markets. Both countries share the core profile that made Zambia the initial launchpad: growing sports betting populations, high WhatsApp penetration, and data cost constraints that disadvantage traditional app-based operators.

The iSolutions partnership is structured to accelerate this rollout by enabling operators already on the iSolutions platform to activate ChatBet without rebuilding their core sportsbook infrastructure. The B2B model means the reach of the technology is no longer limited to markets where Bola Group itself operates.

Implications for African Betting Technology

The ChatBet and iSolutions deal represents a wider trend: Africa is increasingly a testing ground for betting technology built around the realities of its users rather than adapted from Western-market templates. From mobile money integration to SMS-based wagering, the continent has consistently produced workarounds to infrastructure gaps, and conversational AI betting is the next expression of that pattern.

If the model proves commercially viable across multiple operators and markets, the WhatsApp-native approach could attract interest from operators in other mobile-first regions, including parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia, where data cost and device constraints present similar challenges to those in sub-Saharan Africa.

Updated July 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ChatBet?

ChatBet is an AI-powered conversational sports betting platform developed by Bola Group that allows players to place bets via WhatsApp, Telegram, or chat widgets using text or voice notes, with no app download required.

Who is iSolutions?

iSolutions is a B2B sports betting technology provider operating in sub-Saharan Africa. Its platform serves multiple sportsbook operators, and the ChatBet partnership enables those operators to add conversational betting channels to their existing setups.

Where is ChatBet available?

ChatBet launched in Zambia in April 2026 and is expanding to Zimbabwe and Malawi. Through the iSolutions partnership, the technology is now available to additional operators across the region.

Can bettors place bets by voice note on WhatsApp?

Yes. ChatBet's AI system processes voice notes and natural-language text messages to identify the intended market, construct a bet slip, and confirm the wager within the WhatsApp conversation thread.

Why is conversational betting suited to Africa?

WhatsApp is already widely used across sub-Saharan Africa and is optimised for low-data environments. Conversational betting removes the need for app downloads, reduces data consumption, and works on entry-level smartphones, addressing three of the main barriers to digital sports betting participation on the continent.