BETTING KENYA Kenya – SportPesa to cut club sponsorship after KRA truce 5 years ago Samuel Post Views: 948 Sports betting firm SportPesa has ruled out full sponsorship to local clubs just days after it reached a truce with taxman to resume operations once cleared by the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB). In an interview with the Business Daily Friday, SportPesa chief executive Ronald Karauri said the firm would only support a few football clubs on need basis once it resumes operations. The firm has been a direct sponsor of the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) and two clubs that participate in the top-tier — AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia. It spends Sh96 million directly on KPL, Sh55 million on AFC and Sh65 million on Gor Mahia. Together with its rival Betin Kenya, they were among 27 firms whose betting licences were not renewed to await the outcome of an inquiry on suitability to operate. It has since been cleared by the Kenya Revenue Authority, setting stage for its return to operations after a two-month absence. The next phase of sponsorship will, however, be uncertain. “Sportpesa will not support all footballs clubs in the country. We will see which ones to support,” – said Mr Karauri. KRA in June demanded Sh8.59 billion from Safaricom as withholding tax arrears due from SportPesa and Betin Kenya, in a crackdown of the Sh200 billion sector. KRA was demanding that Safaricom pays Sh5.29 billion withholding tax arrears due from Gamcode Limited, trading as Betin, and a further Sh3.29 billion due from Pevans East Africa, which trades as SportPesa. On Friday, Mr Karauri said that all pending issues had been settled and a deal reached which should see the firm get back to business as soon as BCLB clears it. “We have held talks with KRA and they have allowed us to get back to business,” – said Mr Karauri. Source: businessdailyafrica.com About Post Author Samuel I am a journalist specializing in gambling in Africa and around the world. I am particularly interested in stories about games and casinos. See author's posts SamuelI am a journalist specializing in gambling in Africa and around the world. I am particularly interested in stories about games and casinos. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Tags: Kenya, sponsoring, SportPesa Continue Reading Previous Kenya – Highway to Hell or On-Ramp to Digital Finance?Next Uganda: BungaBet makes betting simpler More Stories BETTING UGANDA Game2Bet: What are they all about? 9 mins ago Szarlot EXPERTS KENYA Child Online Protection 22 hours ago Samuel BETTING UGANDA 1000 Ugandan students drop out annually due to sports betting 2 days ago Szarlot BETTING NIGERIA Three more ambassadors join King Kanu at Sportsbet.io 2 days ago Szarlot BETTING HOT NEWS UGANDA Dear retiree, to pay university fees is to bet on sports 4 days ago Samuel EXPERTS KENYA How SiGMA’s Expansion into Kenya is Reshaping the African Gambling Landscape 4 days ago Szarlot BETTING NIGERIA How Nigerian Sport Promotes Responsible Gambling 4 days ago Szarlot BETTING NIGERIA Charting Nigeria’s online gambling growth amid regulatory battles 4 days ago Samuel BETTING ZAMBIA Formula 1 drives sports betting for African players. 7 days ago Szarlot BETTING SOUTH AFRICA Golden Matrix completes acquisition of MeridanBet Group 1 week ago Iwo Bulski BETTING SOUTH AFRICA South African Gambling Regulation: A Closer Look 1 week ago Samuel BETTING SOUTH AFRICA Hacksaw Gaming enters South African market with Supabets 1 week ago Samuel 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.