Hokm

What is Hokm?

“We felt there was a gap for a continent-wide network that could connect organisations, encourage collaboration, and help build a stronger collective voice on player protection. ARGN is not here to replace national organisations or regulators. Its purpose is to support and strengthen the work already being done by bringing people and organisations together.”

But while the ARGN intends to enhance collaboration between stakeholders across the continent, Akolade asserts the aim is to promote “common principles rather than identical regulations”.

Akolade explains: “Every African country has its own legal framework, culture, and level of market development, so a single model might not work everywhere.

What is Hokm?

“Stakeholders increasingly want evidence that initiatives deliver meaningful outcomes rather than simply demonstrating good intentions,” Skinner suggests.

That shift is increasingly visible across the sector, with DEI framed less as a standalone initiative and more as part of everyday business culture.

For Grainne Hurst, CEO of the Betting & Gaming Council in the UK, the evolution has been clear. “The conversation has moved beyond representation alone towards inclusion, retention, well-being and progression,” Hurst explains. “Businesses increasingly understand that DEI must be embedded in everyday culture, not treated as a separate initiative.”

What is Hokm?

Stakeholders have yet to determine their response to the bills, with educational campaigns and collective actions on the agenda. Coordination with political leaders in the city of São Paulo is also under way.

Reinaldo Carneiro Bastos, president of the São Paulo Football Federation, expressed concern about the bill, saying: “If the city’s clubs lose this revenue, it will create a disparity that extends to the pitch.”

According to him, advertising from betting companies is a primary revenue source for the clubs. Opponents from other states would be able to retain such advertising, creating a competitive disadvantage, particularly for Corinthians, Palmeiras and São Paulo.