Kenya is the first African country to legalize all forms of gambling in the 20th century. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Kenya has become one of the most progressive countries in the world when it comes to sports betting.
There are many sports betting sites that Kenyan bettors can access and as such, the market is quite competitive. Choosing the right betting site in Kenya in 2023 can be a challenge but it’s not that difficult if you follow the below-mentioned instructions. Read on to find out more.
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In Kenya, all forms of gambling are permitted. As such, the country has been a haven for gamblers all around Africa but some problems have occurred recently. Given the growing number of gambling companies, the government has put in place strategies to protect Kenyans against gambling addiction and the violence that accompanies such activities. The Gambling and Licensing Regulatory Board (BCLB) through banks and other money transfer regulators have made it difficult for people to withdraw and deposit money on gambling networks. Initially, we have seen some of the gambling companies’ licenses revoked for failing to pay the required taxes. However, the cases have been around for some time and have been resolved through the courts. According to a recent argument, the government has refused to renew the licenses of these gambling companies to ensure that (those companies) comply with the regulations set by BCLB.
Minister of Home Affairs and National Coordination Dr. Fred Matiang’i warned that these gambling companies should expect strict action. He said that this industry contributed to misleading many young people. The National Security Council also approved the statement. The council also investigates the effects and threats associated with gambling in the country such as embezzlement.
Gambling companies were given deadlines to meet the new conditions for gambling activities. Some of the conditions that needed to be met included proving that they were running the business in accordance with the law. Also, they needed to show that they had the ability and a good financial system for the past four years.
Since the pressure, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has inspected and approved ten gambling companies whose licenses had been revoked for non-compliance with tax laws. The licenses of 27 companies were not renewed for failing to meet those requirements.
Earlier this year, the BCLB announced a new law banning advertising on billboards, gambling on social media, gambling between 6 pm and 4 pm, and the banning of gambling activities by celebrities. However, the Supreme Court of Kenya quashed the rules.
The Government of Kenya has re-introduced the Gambling Bill 2019 which proposes new fees, laws on ownership, and monitoring of these gambling activities.
It is estimated that the gambling industry generates $200 billion annually. In most lands, the tax levied on each winner is usually less than 20 percent. In Kenya, the tax levied on every win in the gambling industry is 35 percent. The Kenyan government is at a crossroads between revenue collection and youth protection. The government should not only use the tax levy as a way to control gambling but also find other ways to ensure that young people do not get caught up in the nightmares of participating in lottery games.
Among the methods the government can use to reduce gambling addiction is to ban the use of posters to sponsor advertisements. The government has a responsibility to protect its citizens against exploitation and to focus on enabling young people to earn a living. The move to collect higher taxes from gambling companies will further promote gambling. As a result of these measures, these gambling companies will be forced to recruit more people to participate in gambling to increase their profits and profits.
Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Kenya?
Sports betting is very much legal in Kenya. While there are numerous propositions to further limit and regulate online gambling in Kenya, those measures are meant to keep the punters safe. Gambling will remain legal for the time being.
As there are no national betting companies in Kenya, they mostly rely on foreign bookmakers. And in the world of online gambling, foreign bookmakers are often seen as unreliable and unsafe portals. There is still a lot of confusion about it, but the truth is that licensed foreign betting sites are not only places where you can bet with maximum security but also portals full of advantages for Kenyan players.
When choosing the best sports betting sites in Kenya for 2023, there are a few criteria to pay attention to. Not all of these criteria must be met but the more the better.
The first point to be addressed in order of importance is, without a doubt, that of security. Most sports betting sites in Kenya have a regular license issued by the authorities of Malta, Curaçao or other entities. These sites are based on the laws of other countries but continue to operate legally internationally. The license from Malta, Curaçao, or other entities is, in fact, a guarantee to all players that there are no legal violations, that all prizes are available, and that all players on the site behave in accordance with the established rules.
Therefore, the first thing to do is check the security systems that these bookmakers use, as well as make sure that they have a license. Every day new foreign betting sites are born and enter the betting market. online games, but not all of them are operators with a regular license.
In addition to this, you should also check how they manage data protection and privacy. Most sports betting sites in Kenya guarantee their registered players a high level of security and can be contacted by email or phone number. In addition, to protect confidential data and economic transactions that take place on the site, they use a highly advanced encryption system, SSL (Secure Socket Layer), which is also used by banks and credit institutions around the world.
Clicking on the main section of the site will take you to the menu with all the sports, and in most cases you will be faced with many different sports that you can bet on. We are talking about more than 20 different sports (in some cases even more than 30). In addition to the classic football, basketball, tennis, etc., you can also try new types of sports and bets, always with many options. In addition, in several bookmakers in Kenya you can enjoy a minimum deposit of 500 shilling, so there is no need to deposit a large amount of money immediately.
Once you have verified that the sports betting site in Kenya suits your tastes, you are finally ready to register and open a game account. And here you have to face one of the most interesting points of all – the welcome bonus. This is a promotion that is only valid for all new users and allows you to immediately have an advantageous top-up on your first deposit.
With most foreign betting site with a license, the welcome bonuses are very high, with large percentages and deposit limits. Also, many bookmakers offer welcome bonuses even up to the fourth or fifth deposit. Finally, it is worth mentioning that, in addition to no deposit betting bonuses from foreign sites, there are also many other offers related to sports in the promotions section.
The analysis of the odds of sports betting sites in Kenya is essential because it is the key factor that will affect your profits. In general, there are many foreign bookmakers that offer advantageous and higher than average odds, so betting on the same sporting event can earn more money and maximize profits. But that’s not all, as many times you can start betting with as much as 50 shillings, in fact, most sites accept minimum bets from 10 shillings and some even less.
Payment methods are also a big plus when it comes to foreign bookmakers in Kenya. These days, they accept many different methods of depositing and withdrawing money, not just credit cards or bank transfers, but also virtual wallets, Paypal, and often cryptocurrencies.
There are several reasons to choose foreign licensed operators in Kenya to place bets. But in addition to the factors, we have discussed, there are many more, such as very reliable customer support, low minimum bets, not to mention the browsing experience, optimization for mobile devices, and many other features to discover.
Lastly, these licensed foreign betting sites are not only safe and reliable, they are also a place to have fun and choose from a wide range of sports to bet on, with great bonuses and many other unique features.
Beginner users need some help as they don’t know how to place sports bets in Kenya. For this reason, we have thought of compiling the main steps that anyone must follow to start placing bets with a bookmaker.
Do some deep research and sign up with a reputable bookmaker. Focus on Kenyan betting sites that we recommend in our ranking. This will help you avoid registering with illegal operators that put your money at risk.
Make a deposit and accept the welcome bonus. The best bookmakers in Kenya offer promotions for new users, so you must make the first deposit with the payment method of your choice.
Select the event and market to bet on. When you already have the money available in your account, it is time to go to the match you want to bet on. Choose the specific market to bet on and enter the amount you want to stake.
Wait for the result of the bet. When the bet has been confirmed, you just have to wait for the event to arrive to know the exact result of the bet. In the event that you have hit the bet, you can withdraw the money when it appears in your account balance.
The steps to download an application on the phone is easy and recommended for all Kenyan punters. You must bear in mind that Android has many restrictions that you must overcome before you can start betting normally.
You will simply have to search for the name of the operator in the App Store and press the icon with your finger to start the download. Once you have validated your purchase (the application is also free) the download will begin and the installation will be done automatically.
You will be able to access both a previously created account and open a new one, regardless of the operator in Kenya. The whole process should not take you more than 5 minutes.
The download must be done directly from the website of the betting operator that interests you, the Play Store does not host any betting app either in Kenya or in any other part of the world. You must ensure that your device’s security settings allow you to install applications from any source. Once this parameter is adjusted, the *.APK file will be downloaded automatically. Then you will simply have to install the app and access or open your new account. As easy as that.
Punters from Kenya love to bet on many sports and a variety of sports that have been offered to them are all bet on to some degree. But to avoid mentioning all the sports that Kenyan punters place bets on, there are just some of the most popular ones:
Horse racing is by far the most popular sport to bet on in some countries, and it is one of the most popular sports to bet on in Kenya. The National Hunt season, which runs from the beginning of November to the end of April, accounts for more than 70% of all horse racing betting activity in the country. There are many more races that take place around the world that Kenyan punters love to bet on. Of course, betting in equestrian centers is also common in Africa and the rest of the world.
The popularity of tennis betting in Kenya has increased significantly in recent years. However, this can be attributed to an increase in computing power rather than an increase in interest levels. Well, while tennis may not be as high profile as other sports on the list, it has always been a hugely popular activity with devoted viewers.
Due to championships such as the European Championship, the UEFA Champions League, Copa América, and AFCON, among other tournaments, millions of shilling are bet around in Kenya every year, especially now that we are waiting for the World Cup in Qatar 2022. This sport, which has countless competitive events held annually all over the planet, is also probably the one that generates the most money in the bookmakers of most countries in the world.
This is probably one of the most popular sports played and watched in Africa. Rugby betting is something that generates huge amounts of money all over the world, but more particularly in the UK and African countries. It is estimated that around 70% of bets being placed on international matches and the remainder on domestic games.
Boxing is a highly appreciated and popular sport in almost every corner of the world, Kenya included. This competitive activity is full of surprising events and is not made for the general public despite its popularity. What happens inside and outside the ring during this event is pure emotion. Every bell, every second, and every punch is intensely experienced by boxers and spectators alike, so it's no wonder the huge sums of money it regularly generates for bookmakers in Kenya.
Along with American football, the United States is by far the best-represented country in professional basketball, but other leagues in Europe have been growing in popularity in recent years. Even here in Kenya, it is one of the most followed sports, although it does not receive the same attention as football.
When talking about mixed martial arts, it is important to take into account all that it entails: it has a large number of followers in Kenya behind it, not only because of what is at stake in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) but also because of the number of events that are organized and produced in general within the field of martial arts. These are planned and built in such a way that they generate a show, a worldwide phenomenon, seen by millions of viewers and causing the same amount of bets continuously.
Regardless of whether you are a fan of basketball, horse racing, or football, the fact is that there is a market for all tastes, in case you want to try your chance with your favorite sport.
Punters from Kenya love to bet on many sports therefore there is a wide range of types of bets. Naming them all would be impossible, hence we will focus on the two most popular sports to bet on in Kenya – football and basketball. Here are the most common types of bets:
It is the most typical and common bet in the world of football. The match result market is the most repeated forecast in the sport that receives the most bets in Kenya. It is very simple – in this section, you bet on whether the home team wins (1), there is a tie (X) or the visitor wins (2).
In addition to betting on who will win the match or if there is a tie, the number of goals ranks second in the most bet markets in football in Kenya. You can bet on over ‘X’ goals or under ‘X’ goals.
For example, in a Kenya – Tanzania match, we bet that there are more than 1.5 goals. That is, if there are two goals, regardless of the team, we will have it right. The most common is to bet on over/under x.5 goals. That is, more than 1.5 or less than 4.5 for example. In this way you ensure that your bet can never be canceled.
Another example, if we have the idea of betting that there will be 2 goals or more in the match, there are two options: +1.5 goals or +2 goals. In the case of two goals, the first option would be valid. But in the second, the bet would be null. Of course, with three goals, both would be successful. It is popular to bet with decimals on the “Total Goals” market in Kenya.
There are three options in this market – the 1X, the X2 and the 12. That is, in the first option we bet that the local team wins or draws. In the second, the visitor wins or draws. And, finally, that one or the other team wins but that there is no tie.
The concept is the same as with total goals, but the difference is that in this type of bet they are only for one of the two halves. That is, you can bet that there are more than ‘X’ goals or less than ‘X’ goals in one of the two parts.
This type of bet is also widely used among soccer bettors and is really simple. Bets on whether both teams will score in the match or not.
This type of bet also applies to basketball. It consists of adding or subtracting 1,2 or 3 goals to the team before starting the match. We bet a Handicap -1.5 on Kenya against Tanzania. If Kenya wins 2-0, the bet is correct because you would win the bet by ‘half a goal’. This is a simple bet and one that can give you good odds.
Another of the most repeated football bets in Kenya and that is also very simple – how many goals will a team score in a match. This is applied to one team during the whole match.
Corners are one of the most repeated elements in every football game and bookmakers know it. You can bet on whether there will be more or less than ‘X’ corners during the match and even specify how many corners will be taken by one or the other or both teams.
Bets on the winner of the match or ˈMoneylineˈ are the most popular and frequent in the betting market in Kenya. In this type of bet, there is no tie option, the players bet on the winning team of a basketball game, if you hit the team that obtained the best result at the end of the event, you win the bet.
Sports betting sites in Kenya offer different odds to the winner of the event, these figures are determined according to the strong or favorite team, and the chances of success of each rival. Quotas are assigned as follows: home team winner and away team winner.
For example, Milwaukee Bucks (2.01) vs. Brooklyn Nets (2.00) – in the opening game of the 2021-22 NBA season, two strong teams will face each other, although the slightest advantage prevails in Milwaukee Bucks team over Brooklyn Nets. To carry out these calculations, the history of each of the teams and their previous performance are analyzed.
Total points betting, also known as over or under, is very easy – players will bet on the total sum of points scored by both teams. Bookmakers in Kenya can accept predictions under two scenarios – at the end of the match and at the end of extra time (if there is an extra time).
For example, in the match between the Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors, the sports betting site in Kenya establishes a total number of points and bets on that amount under (under) or over (over).
Over 226.5 Golden State Warriors (1.82)
Under 226.5 Lakers (2.09)
Handicap betting is a bit more complex than outright betting. This modality regularly applies in matches in which there is a wide advantage of one team over another. Like in football, betting sites offer this type of bet to reduce the level of advantage or favoritism of a team considered strong against a weak one. To do this, they offer the possibility of choosing a superior team with the condition of winning with a certain score, or betting on the weak team with a handicap that provides an advantage.
The operation of online betting houses in Kenya is very simple. These online gaming platforms offer dozens of sports that you can bet on, be it a competition or a specific sporting event within that competition. Once the event has been selected, such as a volleyball, basketball, or football games, users have to choose the market (winner, winner at half-time, both teams will score, double chance, etc.) and select the bet with a specific amount. Each event has several possible outcomes, with different odds based on the probability of that bet happening.
Online bookmakers in Kenya set betting odds to represent what they believe to be the probability of an event occurring. In the Kenyan gambling market, these probabilities are represented with a decimal and determine the amount of money that the user wins for every shilling wagered. For example, if a user bets 100 shilling on Kenya winning the next match, which pays out at odds of 4.0, he would receive a total payout of 400 shillings. This amount includes the 100 initial bet, which would result in a net win of 300. Betting odds apply to any sporting event available on online gaming platforms.
The odds of the bet are simply the probability of something happening. If the online bookmaker in Kenya considers that a team or athlete is more likely to win, the fee will be lower. In the event that you consider that a team or athlete has little chance of winning, the fee will be higher. The odds of the bets vary constantly, either due to the appearance of new information related to the sporting event, such as the injury of an important footballer of the favorite team for the match or due to the volume of money that users bet on that bet.
Online sports betting sites in Kenya do not make money based on who wins or loses a sporting event, but simply based on the bets placed, due to the payout (profit margin) that is applied to all their odds. The payout represents the commission that gaming operators take for offering their services, and is usually between 0 and 10%. This is the reason why the odds are different in online bookmakers, since each gaming operator establishes a higher or lower profit margin, offering better or worse odds depending on each sporting event.
In the different sports betting houses in Kenya, you will find a wide variety of offers, bonuses, or promotions. It depends on which of these will be available, depending on the site operator, the importance of these promotions gives the user an advantage over the house and allows you to improve betting options, predictions on different sporting events, simple bets, and more. Here are the most common and popular bonuses in Kenya.
One of the most popular and most demanded by more specialized users, as well as amateur users, are registration bonuses or welcome bonuses, which are exclusively provided to new users who register on the platform, thus inviting them to experience the different betting options and improve their odds in the forecasts that users make.
It is important to understand that these promotions have their own conditions of bets, this varies either according to the bookmaker or according to specific events that they bring with them. It is also important to stay informed of the conditions that one can find. In this way, a punter will avoid misunderstandings and fully enjoy the welcome or registration bonuses.
When a sports betting operator in Kenya offers its services to a wide public, it must consider that users are looking for a site that knows how to recognize the investment that users have planned to make, whether it is time or money (in most cases users invest these two). But, there is something that must be very clear, when a user searches for a bookmaker, the main objective is to obtain a good impression, therefore, the option of receiving a bonus from the site is something that gives the site operator points in favor, this being one of the most sought-after and most accepted bonuses by different operators of online betting sites in Kenya.
In general, this type of promotion in many cases is part of the welcome bonuses or loyalty programs of the bookmakers in Kenya, which provides an option or different betting options without needing to deposit any money. These bonuses may be claimed after confirming your identity or completing the registration form. In some cases, these bonuses will also be for referring a friend or simply part of the loyalty programs of the sports betting house.
This option allows the player to make a certain number of bets for free. It can be one, it can even go beyond this, allowing you to improve your betting options or your forecasts in the different events, this is a promotion considered low risk, which means that in many cases it will also be considered low promotions without risk.
Through these, the possibility of bettors is wide and thus they will be able to better understand the platform, therefore, offering no deposit bonuses has become one of the important axes in the online gambling industry, whereby users experience the platform without having to risk their own money or capital, hence they have to make deposits in the future in order to withdraw the profits obtained by it.
Each online sports betting site in Kenya has its own bonus programs that it makes available to users. The importance that these have for users is more than essential, therefore, we will find different bonus options and programs of this nature. One of the bonuses which are not determined in advance are the free betting programs, which can come in the form of welcome bonuses, no deposit bonuses, or in a promotional offer for a specific event, for example, the next World Cup in Qatar 2022. We are sure that sportsbooks in Kenya are already preparing to welcome this one with open arms and start providing football experts with the best in betting options and big wins.
When one is going to invest their own funds, they look for the best option that they can receive from sports betting houses in Kenya, this in order to obtain an advantage over the house. Usually, these bonuses are a percentage that equals the deposit made by the user, which allows you to improve your betting options. This in many cases is called deposit matching (match bonuses).
Deposit matching is a specific percentage of the deposit, these bonuses are not only related to the first deposit as from time to time, but the operators also offer this type of bonus to keep existing users firm and obtain the registration of new users to the platform.
Let’s say that it is a 100% match – regardless of whether we are talking about a welcome bonus or a seasonal bonus – the importance in this case is the amount deposited, in other words if you made a deposit for the amount of 1000 shilling, the house will give you an equal percentage, but this amount is adhered as fictitious money or gambling money, which can only be used in order to improve your odds and forecasts you make.
This bonus comes in the form of cash which can only be used in different forecasts of the users, whose function is to improve the options of the same users and the odds of winning. By offering cash bonuses, bookmakers gain popularity and improve the standard set by the competition, which makes it considered by users as a safe and reliable site.
In order to place sports bets in Kenya, a bettor must deposit some money first and use it to place bets. To do so, Kenyan players can use a variety of methods, most of which are completely safe and quite recommended.
To better name the best methods, they will be categorized in groups below. These are the most popular payment options in Kenya.
✅ Airtel Money – In Kenya, the Airtel Money transfer method is arguably the most preferred one. It’s fast, reliable, and widespread. Probably all sports betting sites in Kenya offer Airtel Money as a transfer method. There are no fees included when depositing or withdrawing money from the sports betting sites in Kenya and the transfers are quite fast.
✅ M-PESA – Another very popular payment method among Kenyan players is M-PESA. In fact, M-PESA and Airtel Money are sort of rivals as they offer quite similar services. M-PESA offers fast and reliable transfers to and from online bookmakers in Kenya, and there are no fees attached to such transactions. All a player needs to do is to create an account and use this payment method anytime.
✅ Credit cards – Extremely popular, widely used, super practical, and capable of making us spend money that will only be deducted at the end of the month: these are the reasons why operators accept the main credit cards on international circuits.
The rather high limits also make us greedy. But credit cards also have their Achilles heels: beware of privacy!
✅ Visa – Visa is possibly the most popular card in the world, only challenged by Mastercard. You can expect the vast majority of bookmakers in Kenya to accept this credit card for payments.
✅ MasterCard – One of the best-known and most reliable credit cards in the world. MasterCard has always been a simple way to make sports betting payments.
Convenient, practical, hassle-free, widespread, and safe: e-wallets seem to be ideal for those who want to approach gambling without worry. Also, it has to be said that commissions are nil and withdrawals are usually available, but limits may not be made for the subtle palate of strong players!
Therefore, they are also great for less experienced players who want to try their first bet. Your privacy is as secure as our savings, and their ease of use makes them suitable for those new to online payments.
✅ PayPal – One of the best betting payment methods in the world. PayPal can be found in almost every betting house, in almost every country. Additionally, the company has an internal approval process for any betting-related business partners, giving your betting transactions additional security.
✅ Neteller – One of the most trusted e-wallets along with PayPal, it has been processing betting payments since 2000. All you have to do is link a credit or debit card or bank account and pay through a secure online platform or via PayPal. your own Net+ MasterCard prepaid cards.
✅ Skrill – It works just like the other e-wallets, allowing you to make betting payments through its secure platform instead of handing over your bank or credit card details. It also has its own prepaid MasterCard cards, which you can use anywhere.
Bank transfers are a very popular payment method in online betting in Kenya. Everyone who bets online has a bank account that they can use to deposit and withdraw money without any intermediaries.
That is why the best platforms make them available to us. Although it must be taken into account that the withdrawal terms are longer than those of other methods, and the limits are generally high.
What Is the Best Payment Option for Kenyan Players?
When betting at sports betting sites that are legal and approved in Kenya, players can use any banking method available with ease of mind. E-wallets are the fastest ones and most widespread but they usually require additional accounts and some fees. Bank and credit card transfers are easy to use but they are quite slow and not as safe.
Gambling in Kenya is legal and well-regulated.
Gambling in Kenya online is quite safe when done at legal and licensed houses.
Sports betting is safe in Kenya. All it is necessary is to go with a trusted bookmaker.
Deposit limits will be determined by bookmakers and payment methods. Check out terms and conditions for each bookmaker.
Both players and bookmakers have to pay 20% tax on their gambling income.
Withdrawal times will depend on each bookmaker but mostly on payment methods. The fastest are e-wallets and electronic payments, which usually take 24 hours, followed by credit cards (3-5 days), and finally, bank transfers, which take about a week.
There are a plethora of betting sites in Kenya, all of which offer unique services. The best one would be the one that offers services based on your needs. It is important that the bookmaker is safe and has a great selection of sports and markets to bet on.
All kinds of sports are available to Kenyan bettors, such as football, basketball, handball, tennis, horse races, moto races, martial arts, etc.
Kenyan bettors love placing bets on football, as well as basketball.
Sports betting odds are calculated by bookmakers and they represent a chance of the outcome, presented in decimal numbers. All the odds on a betting slip are multiplied and then multiplied again with the sum of money invested to create a final winning sum.
Many bookmakers in Kenya will offer free bets as part of their promotional bonuses.
It is necessary to create a betting account at a sports betting site in Kenya. Once created, the bookmaker will award the new player with a welcome (sign-up) bonus.
There are numerous ways in which Kenyan bettors can ask for help. One is to contact the GamHelp Kenya at 0800-000-023, another is East Africa Center at +254700656284 or +254725492006, or contact a gambling counselor (+254) 707764498, 0739 340004.
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