When Cameroon’s Ministry of Territorial Administration issued a letter designating InTouch as the exclusive aggregator for online gambling transactions early last month, the announcement came with all the expected official decorum — and a fair share of controversy. The move effectively places the Senegalese fintech company in control of all transactions related to the reloading and unloading of online player accounts, starting January 30, 2025. But in a country where regulatory decisions often leave industry players scratching their heads, this one has sparked more than a few questions.

In theory, the government’s decision to centralize oversight of online gambling transactions is a rational one. Regulatory bodies across Africa are increasingly tightening controls on digital transactions, citing concerns over fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion. Cameroon’s Ministry of Territorial Administration has framed its decision as a necessary step towards ensuring transparency in the gambling industry.

However, the exclusive nature of the contract raises eyebrows. By granting InTouch a monopoly over this segment of the financial ecosystem, the government is effectively sidelining all other aggregators — including those with existing operations in the country. In other markets, financial inclusion has often been cited as a reason to encourage competition, not stifle it.

InTouch: The New Gatekeeper

For InTouch, the contract represents a significant milestone in its pan-African expansion strategy. The Senegalese fintech, founded in 2014 by Omar Cissé, has rapidly grown into a major player in digital payments, offering a multi-service aggregation platform that integrates mobile money, card payments, and other financial services. Backed by investors such as CFAO Group, Mobility54, Worldline, and TotalEnergies, the company has long positioned itself as an essential infrastructure provider for digital transactions across Africa.

Cameroon now joins the ranks of countries where InTouch has a strong footprint, adding to its presence in Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Nigeria, and South Africa. The question, however, is not whether InTouch is capable of handling the task — it’s whether an exclusive contract is the right approach.

Cameroonian officials insist that the selection process was above board, but local industry insiders are less convinced. Given the country’s history of opaque regulatory decisions, the move has prompted speculation about the criteria used to award the contract. “Was there an open bidding process?” asked Remi Tassing, founder of Cameroon-based startup Katika and a member of the advocacy group Stand-Up for Cameroon, who devotes part of his free time to studying the allocation of public contracts. “Were other companies considered? If so, why was InTouch the sole winner?”

Further complicating matters is Cameroon’s political landscape. Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji, known for his ironclad control over regulatory decisions, has made it clear that InTouch’s role is non-negotiable. His ministry’s directive to Orange Cameroon leaves no room for alternative interpretations: as of January 30, all Cameroon’s gambling transactions must pass through InTouch.

For mobile money operators and payment service providers in Cameroon, the decision is unsettling. A single aggregator means that all industry players — including those with their own well-established transaction systems — will be forced to integrate with InTouch. This introduces a layer of dependency that not everyone is comfortable with.

“This is not how a competitive digital economy is built,” said a senior executive at a Cameroonian fintech company who requested anonymity. “It’s one thing to regulate the sector, it’s another to hand it over to a single company and call it progress.”

There is also the matter of pricing. While InTouch has yet to disclose the commercial terms of its new role, the absence of competition could leave operators at the mercy of whatever transaction fees the aggregator deems appropriate.

The broader implications of this move are likely to persist beyond the January 30 deadline. Will this serve as a model for other regulated industries in Cameroon? Will other African governments follow suit, handing exclusive control of key digital infrastructure to single private companies?

For now, what is clear is that InTouch has landed a lucrative and influential position in Cameroon’s gambling payments landscape. Whether the industry — and consumers — will benefit in the long run remains an open question.