SportPesa Replaced by Betsafe as Kenya’s Football Sponsor

It has been revealed that online gambling provider, Betsafe Kenya, is to fill a gap in the market by forming sponsorship deals with Premier League football teams. By doing this, the company replaces former sponsor, SportPesa, which closed its Kenya business in 2019 following issues with the government over taxes.

Betsafe is part of the Nordic company Betsson AB, which is an online gambling operator. Since SportPesa closed its Kenya operations last year, there has been a gap left in the market with regard to football sponsorship, and this is something that Betsafe hopes to remedy. New sponsorship deals have been announced between Betsafe and Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards, both of which are Premier League teams.

Sponsorships to Last for Three Seasons

It has also been confirmed that the sponsorships between the gambling operator and the teams will last for three seasons as things stand. It will kick off with the up and coming 2020/2021 campaign. The operator’s logo will be seen on the teams’ shirts, and in total, the deals are said to be worth Ksh95m. The majority of this will go to Gor Mahia, the team which is the current reigning league champion.

An official from Betsafe has said that operations in Kenya would be launching in the very near future and that the priority was to support football in Kenya. The deals have been arranged through Betsafe’s subsidiary, Bet High Kenya Ltd. The sponsorship has delighted officials from the football clubs, as it means that they have the financial support of a solid and reputable partner.

The chairman of Gor Mahia said that the club now had “long-term financial support from a strong and safe partner.” Meanwhile, the chairman of AFC Leopards said that the deal “gives us a sense of security and work peace to be able to focus even more on becoming the best team in the country.”

Relief for Teams

In the space of two years, the previous sponsor, SportPesa, cancelled its sponsorship deals for local teams twice. The last time was in August 2019, when the provider said that its decision to cancel its local sponsorships was down to uncertainty over regulations. This left the football teams in a very difficult situation, with claims that Gor was unable to pay its players for five months as a result of financial woes.

This latest sponsorship deal will therefore come as a huge relief for players and officials from the teams, as it will provide them with the financial security they lost after SportPesa cancelled its sponsorships. This financial uncertainty has been causing issues for the teams for over a year, but the Betsafe sponsorship deal will make all the difference.

SportPesa had been described as a market leader in Kenya before it decided to close Kenyan operations. However, it was noted that it was not the only operator to do this, as Betin also closed its operations in Kenya during the same period. The move came after the government in Kenya made changes to how betting license-holders and their customers would be taxed.

A Return to Kenyan Operations for SportPesa

In the meantime, it has been reported that SportPesa will be returning to the Kenya market, and this will be via a license held by Milestone Games. While officials from SportPesa have said that they are excited about the return to their home country, details of the return are still quite sketchy at present.

The provider did say that it would be focusing on providing excellent levels of service for consumers along with encouraging responsible gaming.

Source: kenyannews.co.ke

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