KENYA Kenya orders deportation of 17 foreign directors of betting firms 6 years ago Iwo Bulski Post Views: 1,085 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 HOT NEWS KENYA Nearly Sh1 trillion is gambled in a year, figure keeps growing 12 hours ago Samuel KENYA ONLINE Parliament Goes After ‘Aviator’ Betting Game 4 days ago Samuel EXPERTS KENYA Identification of and intervention in gambling effects among vulnerable groups in public universities in Kenya 5 days ago Samuel EXPERTS KENYA MPs pass 10 amendments in efforts to curb money laundering in Kenya 5 days ago Szarlot KENYA ONLINE Slotegrator Breaks Down Africa’s $17.63 Billion Betting Growth 1 week ago Iwo Bulski BETTING KENYA Strict measures await betting, lottery industry operators in Nairobi 2 weeks ago Samuel EXPERTS KENYA NACADA Sensitised Boda Boda Riders On Drug Risks 2 weeks ago Samuel CASINO KENYA A History Of Casinos In Kenya: From Land-Based To Digital 2 weeks ago Szarlot BETTING KENYA Nairobi’s betting industry faces scrutiny as MCAs seek to restrict it to five-star hotels 2 weeks ago Samuel BETTING KENYA Betting firms’ relief from new taxes push 3 weeks ago Samuel BETTING KENYA Man loses N33m meant for studies abroad to sports betting 3 weeks ago Szarlot EXPERTS KENYA The Rising Importance of Responsible Gambling Practices in Kenya 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.