The Kenyan High Court has temporarily lifted the suspension of Kenyan digital betting firm, Betin Kenya’s license to operate digital sports gambling services in Kenya.
Kenya’s Betting and Licensing Board suspended Gamcode Limited’s (Betin’s parent company) chance to renew its betting license on July 1. This decision was made after it was discovered that Gamcode had not renewed permits for 19 undisclosed betting firms.
Betin is a popular betting site, boasting millions of users and north of USD 1.9 Billion sales yearly since it begun operating in the country. The Betin site is only second in popularity to SportPesa which was an early entrant into the betting space.
High Court judge Weldon Korir lifted the suspension saying, “A conservatory order be and is hereby issued staying or suspending the effect of the betting board’s decision of rejecting the applicant’s application for the renewal of its 2019/2020 bookmaker’s licence, until July 16.”
Gamcode’s license had not been renewed but was instead extended, and expired on June 30, afterwhich it was informed that it’s license renewal application had been rejected.
The firm then sought legal action to counter the rejection.
Betin’s lawyer, former Attorney General Githu Muigai, protested the action by the Betting and Licensing Board, arguing that unless the suspension was lifted urgently, Gamcode would see damaging losses, and officials could face arrest for running an unlicensed business.
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He said, “The receipt of the decision after the expiry of the applicant’s licence on June 30 clearly shows that the board wanted to issue the communication once the licence had expired, thereby preventing them from operating as from July 1.”
Betin offers users both SMS and web based betting, and has set up numerous brick and mortar betting shops across the country.
The board is yet to respond to the case.
Earlier this year the same board banned celebrities from endorsing betting firms. A decision that also wounded Betin as they had to terminate longstanding contracts with Kenyan football player Kenneth Mariga and Actress/Radio presenter Joey Muthengi.
In addition to this, in June, the Betin platform suffered a glitch that prevented bettors from accessing their money.
