Axom and 888AFRICA Scale AI Following 18% NGR Uplift

Kenya.- 15 September 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com 888AFRICA and Axom Gaming are deepening their technology partnership after a three-month trial of Axom’s predictive-intelligence platform delivered progressively stronger commercial performance for the African operator.

The collaboration places an AI-powered decisioning layer on top of 888AFRICA’s existing CRM infrastructure, determining which action, communication or permitted reward is most appropriate for each individual player.

Rather than replacing the operator’s existing systems, the model is intended to make them more intelligent and scalable as 888AFRICA expands across African markets.

NGR Uplift Reaches 18%

Performance improved throughout the trial.

Compared with 888AFRICA’s existing CRM approach, incremental NGR uplift reached approximately:

• 2% in month one.
• 7% in month two.
• 18% in month three.

That progression provided the foundation for a broader deployment.

Month Three Becomes a New Baseline

888AFRICA does not view the third-month result as the end point.

The ambition is for that performance level to become the new baseline from which optimisation continues.

As the system learns more about player behaviour, the partners expect the quality of decisions to keep improving.

Performance Exceeded Expectations

Kat Tarasenkova, Head of CRM at 888AFRICA, described the early results as exceptional and above expectations.

The monthly progression mattered because it indicated that the technology was not producing a one-off campaign improvement.

Its performance strengthened as it learned more about the customer base.

Focus on Net Lifetime Revenue

The partnership is aligned around maximising net lifetime revenue.

This means looking beyond immediate campaign responses and assessing the incremental long-term value generated by each decision.

Beyond Short-Term Response

A promotion may generate activity but still represent unnecessary cost if the customer would have played anyway.

Axom’s approach attempts to distinguish between those outcomes.

Investment can then be directed towards situations where it has a stronger likelihood of creating incremental value.

Individual Player Decisions

A core feature is decision-making at individual-player level rather than relying entirely on broad segments.

Two customers may show:

• Similar value.
• Comparable recent activity.
• Apparently similar profiles.

Their actual response to an intervention can nevertheless be completely different.

Different Players Need Different Actions

One player may require an incentive to remain active.

Another may respond to a simple message.

A third may require no intervention at all.

Treating all three identically can either lose revenue or waste promotional budget.

Next-Best-Action Analysis

Axom uses a next-best-action approach.

For each individual, the technology can determine whether the most appropriate option is to:

• Send a communication.
• Provide a permitted reward.
• Use another engagement method.
• Take no action.

Billions of Data Points

During the pilot, the platform processed billions of behavioural and transactional data points.

These were used to support player-level decisions.

Existing CRM Remains in Place

888AFRICA did not need to replace its CRM platform.

Axom sits as an additional decisioning layer.

The existing CRM systems continue executing the selected actions.

Making Existing Technology Work Harder

888AFRICA had already invested in CRM and engagement capabilities.

The opportunity was therefore to obtain greater commercial value from infrastructure already in place.

Simple Integration

Both companies deliberately kept the initial integration relatively simple.

The goal was to go live quickly and demonstrate measurable value before making a larger long-term commitment.

Prove Value Before Scaling

The test-first approach allowed 888AFRICA to compare Axom’s performance directly with its existing methods.

Once the commercial uplift became evident, the companies could move towards wider deployment with greater confidence.

Not Simply “Throwing AI” at the Problem

Axom CRM Consultant Ali Craxton said the project did not begin by simply applying AI generically.

The company spent time understanding:

• 888AFRICA’s business.
• Its customers.
• Existing CRM infrastructure.
• Target markets.
• Commercial priorities.
• Different player types.

Understand Before Automating

The underlying principle is that AI alone does not automatically generate value.

Models need to be aligned with actual business objectives and customer behaviour.

The initial phase therefore focused heavily on context.

Existing African Experience

Axom already had experience in several of the markets where 888AFRICA operates or plans to grow.

That reduced the initial learning curve.

African Markets Are Not Uniform

Continental expansion cannot be treated as a single strategy.

Individual jurisdictions have different:

• Player behaviour.
• Economics.
• Products.
• Regulations.
• Payment systems.
• Promotional dynamics.
• Mobile usage patterns.

Localisation Matters

Decisioning must learn these market-specific characteristics.

An action that works in one jurisdiction may deliver a very different outcome elsewhere.

Crash Games Are Particularly Important

Axom highlighted its previous experience with crash games, including Aviator.

This category plays a particularly important role in several African markets.

Different Product Behaviour

Crash games can create customer patterns that differ materially from traditional casino products.

Understanding those behaviours improves the quality of decision-making.

Sportsbook and Casino

888AFRICA operates sportsbook and online casino brands.

Player-level intelligence can therefore combine behaviour across different gaming verticals.

Smarter CRM, Not More CRM

The objective is not simply to increase the volume of communications.

It is to improve the quality of each commercial decision.

More automation does not necessarily mean more messages.

Reducing Unnecessary Incentives

One potential benefit is sending fewer rewards to customers who do not need them.

This can reduce promotional cost without sacrificing activity.

More Efficient Marketing Investment

Individual optimisation allows budget to be concentrated where it has a greater likelihood of producing incremental returns.

That becomes increasingly valuable as African competition intensifies.

Retention Versus Acquisition

African betting markets are attracting more international competition.

Relying exclusively on new-customer acquisition therefore becomes less efficient.

Improving retention and existing customer value offers another growth route.

CRM as an NGR Driver

A more efficient CRM operation can increase revenue without requiring equivalent expansion in acquisition spending.

Axom’s trial is intended to demonstrate precisely that opportunity.

Scalability Is the Bigger Opportunity

The next phase is fundamentally about scale.

As 888AFRICA adds countries and players, the number of decisions required from its CRM operation increases rapidly.

More Players Create More Decisions

Every customer presents multiple possible interventions.

At regional scale, managing those decisions manually becomes increasingly difficult.

Automated Decisioning

Axom automates much of that complexity.

The human team still defines strategy and objectives.

The technology optimises individual decisions within those parameters.

Growing Without Matching CRM Headcount

A key attraction for 888AFRICA is the ability to manage a much larger customer base without increasing CRM headcount at the same rate.

That creates operational leverage.

Higher Productivity

If the customer base grows faster than headcount, existing teams can devote more attention to strategy while the platform handles repetitive decisioning.

Continental Expansion

888AFRICA has significant expansion ambitions across the continent.

Its operations or target markets include:

• Kenya.
• Tanzania.
• Mozambique.
• Zambia.
• Malawi.
• Angola.

The technology will need to accommodate each market’s distinctive characteristics.

International Competition

Africa has become one of global gaming’s most closely watched growth regions.

Major international operators are increasing their exposure across the continent.

Increasingly Competitive Markets

Interest is being driven by a combination of:

• Young demographics.
• Mobile adoption.
• Digital growth.
• Sports betting popularity.
• Regulatory development.
• Online casino opportunities.

These same characteristics are increasing competition.

Technology as a Competitive Differentiator

For 888AFRICA, technology can become a key differentiator.

Where competitors have access to similar products and markets, the ability to manage each customer more efficiently can materially affect performance.

Personalisation at Scale

The partnership seeks to combine personalisation with large-scale operations.

Historically, individual treatment becomes difficult once an operator must make millions of customer decisions.

Predictive intelligence is designed to automate that complexity.

Continuous Learning

The platform does not rely solely on static rules.

It observes outcomes and adapts.

That continual learning contributed to the progression between the first and third months.

Self-Optimisation

Axom intends the decisioning layer to continue self-optimising against 888AFRICA’s commercial objectives.

The system learns which actions deliver stronger outcomes and adjusts future decisions accordingly.

Not All Metrics Are Equal

High open or response rates do not necessarily translate into stronger profitability.

The model therefore prioritises incremental revenue and lifetime value.

Measuring Incrementality

The core question is not merely whether a player responded.

It is whether the action generated an outcome that would not otherwise have occurred.

Better Promotional Efficiency

This approach can reduce incentives that simply subsidise behaviour already likely to happen.

Budget can instead be directed to situations where intervention has genuine influence.

Player Experience

More relevant decisioning can also improve customer experience.

Players may receive fewer irrelevant communications and more appropriate interactions.

Balancing Commercial and Customer Outcomes

Maximising lifetime value requires avoiding excessive promotional pressure.

Customers overwhelmed by messages may disengage.

Quality of interaction therefore matters alongside frequency.

AI Becomes Operational Infrastructure

The partnership reflects a broader shift in iGaming.

Artificial intelligence is moving from experimentation towards integration in daily CRM operations.

Decisioning Rather Than Execution

Axom primarily positions itself as an intelligence layer.

It does not need to replace the execution systems operators already use.

This architecture can simplify integration.

Lower Technology Friction

Avoiding a full migration reduces:

• Cost.
• Risk.
• Implementation time.
• Operational complexity.

That can accelerate return on investment.

Complementary Technology Model

The partnership illustrates a broader move towards modular technology.

Operators can add specialised layers rather than rebuilding entire stacks.

888AFRICA’s Corporate Transformation

The technology partnership also coincides with a significant period for 888AFRICA.

The operator has attracted acquisition interest from Gaming Innovation Group.

GiG Plans to Acquire 80%

GiG has announced plans to acquire an 80% stake in 888AFRICA.

That transaction highlights the strategic value being placed on the business.

Profitable Growth Asset

888AFRICA has been presented as a profitable, cash-generative B2C operator with substantial regional growth potential.

Improving CRM efficiency could strengthen that operating profile further.

Technology Ahead of Scale

Axom provides infrastructure designed to support a larger organisation.

That may become increasingly relevant if the operator accelerates expansion under a new ownership structure.

Existing Data Has More Value

Another notable feature of the pilot is that the improvement was achieved using data 888AFRICA already possessed.

The main difference was how decisions were made from that information.

More Data Is Not Always the Answer

AI strategies often focus on collecting ever larger datasets.

This case suggests significant value can also come from using existing data more intelligently.

Decision Quality Over Data Volume

The challenge is not simply storing information.

It is converting that information into commercially useful actions.

Axom’s layer is designed around that point.

From Segmentation to Individualisation

Traditional CRM commonly organises customers into large segments.

Player-level decisioning moves from segment averages towards individual behaviour.

This can reveal differences that broader groupings obscure.

Next Stage of CRM

Automated player-level decisioning could become an important direction for iGaming marketing.

Technology makes it possible to personalise millions of decisions without proportionately increasing manual resources.

Industry Context

African betting markets are attracting increasing international investment as competition rises for acquisition, retention and market share.

In that environment, technology efficiency becomes especially important.

For multi-market operators such as 888AFRICA, manually scaling CRM strategy across several countries can generate substantial operational cost.

Combining existing data with predictive intelligence and automated decisioning offers a potential route to expansion without duplicating teams and processes in every market.

Next Steps and Impact

Following the three-month pilot, Axom Gaming and 888AFRICA will expand use of the decisioning layer across the operator’s regional business.

The objective is to turn the 18% incremental NGR uplift achieved in month three into a new performance baseline, continue learning from the player base and progressively improve the quality of decisions.

The technology will determine at individual-player level who should receive communications, permitted incentives or other interventions and who should receive no action.

For 888AFRICA, the strategic advantage is the ability to expand its customer base and geographic footprint without growing CRM headcount at the same pace.

The partnership therefore illustrates how AI can be used not to replace existing technology, but to extract more value from it and support profitable expansion across one of international gaming’s fastest-developing regions.

Editó: @fonta