Learn Betting — The New Sport In Town

Betting — the new sport in town

Sports betting in Kenya is not held on a large scale as it is in Uganda and other African countries where it has directly benefited the respective country’s sports and economy.

While betting has been in existence over the decades in Kenya, it has been confined to only local horse racing. Not any more after Gaming International made a grand entry into Nairobi with an investment of over $3.5 million with the promise to expand to other major cities and towns within then next six months.

Gaming International started its operations in Uganda in 2009 with an investment of $3.5 million and has since registered tremendous growth of $10.5 million, which has translated to hundreds of job opportunities.

Uganda currently boasts of 200 points of sale at 45 centres across the country in places like Kampala, Jinja, Entebbe, Mbarara.

The concept has not only improved the lives of Ugandans who have since won billions of dollars but has also contributed to the economy through tax payments.

Gaming International’s facility is based at the newly renovated Odeon Plaza along Tom Mboya Street, Nairobi.

The facility was officially opened by Kenyan sports commissioner, Gordon Oluoch, who said it will not only boost the growth of the sports industry in the country but will also add to the growth of the economy.

Gaming International chief executive officer, James Simon Mpanga said that besides betting activities they will also be pro-actively involved in financial sponsorship and support of local sports initiatives through programmes as agreed upon by respective federations.

Not only will they offer local football fans the opportunity to bet on live international or local matches and virtual games, they will also provide a wider range of sports including Formula one, boxing, cricket, tennis and basketball.

After a successful entry into the Ugandan sports market where they have achieved a growth rate of over 100 per cent since 2009, Mpanga said they hope their entry into Kenya — East and Central Africa’s largest economy — will further spur growth into Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi.

Mpanga said they have invested $1.5 million in the gaming system hardware and software and a further $2 million in setting up a country wide sales network that will further create 450 jobs.

“We want to expand into Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret and later Tanzania in the next six months,” said Mpanga who has a joined venture with Sofapaka Football Club chairman Elly Kalekwa and Thomas Renafelt from Sweden.

Mpanga noted that Uganda sports federation has been in constant wrangles over who should benefit from the financial assistance received from them, but hoped that this will not happen in Kenya. “We want betting to also benefit sports directly since that is our speciality,” said Mpanga. “But we shall only identify and support wrangle-free, transparent federations besides rewarding sportsmen and women who will have excelled.”

Gaming International is looking to attract over 100,000 clients per week with the cheapest tickets going for Ksh100 ($1.1).

One of the directors, Sofapaka Football Club president Elly Kalekwa, said their venture will be different from lottery or gambling in casinos. “With lottery and gambling, someone can fail to win but in betting one is guaranteed of getting something and millions will be won weekly especially with international matches being played frequently,” said Kalekwa.

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