KENYA Kenya orders deportation of 17 foreign directors of betting firms 4 years ago Iwo Bulski Post Views: 780 Kenya has ordered the deportation of 17 foreign directors of betting firms operating in Kenya, the interior ministry said on Wednesday, almost a week after ordering telecoms firm Safaricom to stop processing payments for sports betting firms. Online sports betting companies such as SportPesa have grown rapidly in the East African nation in recent years, riding a wave of enthusiasm for sports, with the government putting their combined revenue at 200 billion shillings ($2 billion) last year, up from 2 billion shillings five years earlier. However, that has raised government concern about the social impact of betting. In May, the country introduced new gambling regulations, including banning advertising outdoors and on social media. The interior ministry said on July 1 that regulator Betting Control and Licensing Board had declined to renew licenses of 19 firms while it reviewed their operations and shareholding structures. “The cabinet secretary (minister) signed 17 deportation orders for directors of betting companies,” – said Wangui Muchiri, the head of communications at the interior ministry. She declined further comment. Reuters could not immediately ascertain those targeted but Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper, citing unnamed sources, reported that they included nationals of Bulgaria, Italy, Russia and Poland. The gaming companies rely largely on Safaricom’s popular M-Pesa financial digital mobile platform to take bets, communicate with users and process payments. Each betting firm is assigned a unique number, known as a pay-bill, which is used to process payments from users who place bets on their mobile phones and to pay off those who win. Last week, the government ordered telecom companies to stop processing payments for the betting companies, saying their betting licenses had not yet been renewed. Sources: Routers About Post Author Iwo Bulski Issues related to the gambling business is engaged in more than 30 years. My empirical experience gives me the opportunity to present events and companies from this business with full knowledge and industry knowledge. See author's posts Iwo BulskiIssues related to the gambling business is engaged in more than 30 years. My empirical experience gives me the opportunity to present events and companies from this business with full knowledge and industry knowledge. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Tags: deportation, gambling, Kenia Continue Reading Previous Kenia – land base casinos have weaker revenues and online are developingNext Kenia – Future of 19 betting firms now depends on security vetting More Stories BETTING KENYA Is online sports betting a popular hobby? 10 hours ago Samuel BETTING KENYA Payouts to gamblers thin out as fresh taxes hit winners 1 day ago Samuel BETTING KENYA Odibets To Reward Customers With 100 ‘Mbuzis’ For Christmas 2 days ago Samuel BETTING KENYA Sportspesa risks losing license if found guilty of disobeying court order 5 days ago Szarlot EXPERTS KENYA Gamblers stake Sh620 billion in four years as betting craze rises 5 days ago Samuel BETTING KENYA Gamblers stake Sh620 billion in four years as betting craze rises 6 days ago Szarlot EXPERTS KENYA President Ruto unveils plan to privatise 35 state companies in Kenya 2 weeks ago Samuel EXPERTS KENYA Top 10 African payment trends for 2024 2 weeks ago Samuel BETTING KENYA Kasarani Teams Get Sh5 Million SportPesa Sponsorship 2 weeks ago Samuel BETTING KENYA Kenya is plotting to steal the shine from gambling craze 2 weeks ago Szarlot EXPERTS KENYA Kenya’s Gambling Control Bill proposes sweeping changes on sector 3 weeks ago Samuel KENYA ONLINE Man wins in Kenya 76 million KSh in Aviator Game 3 weeks ago Szarlot Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.