Matiang'i Declares War on Betting Firms

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i on Monday declared war against betting firms in the country.

Speaking during to the media in Nairobi, Matiang’i issued a July 1st ultimatum to all the gaming firms to settle all tax arrears. He claims that gaming firm made over Sh200 billion last year but only paid Sh4 billion in taxes.

Matiang’i says betting companies that will defy this order will have their licenses withdrawn.

“We have about 500,000 of our young people who are blacklisted by some of the lending agencies because they borrowed and cannot pay. Most of them borrowed because of betting."

"This is a sector we must regulate. I want to be very frank with you, we are prepared to face the consequences that may be to ensure that this sector is regulated effectively,” vows Matiang’i.

CS Matiang’i has spoken after a meeting with the Betting and Licensing Control Board to review policies in the sector.

He has further directed the Board to table before him a Status Report within 30 days.

“I have instructed the chair of the board to convene a meeting with the Communications Authority of Kenya and review the advertising regime of some of these bets and the betting environment."

“Some of the offshore agencies that are advertising in the media if they are not properly followed and this is not done, the media houses involved should be called to account. We must create order, we can’t live in this kind of society.

He adds: “I have equally asked the board that within the next thirty days, they give me a status report on betting in the country complete with a notation profiling the agencies involved in this."

The directive comes weeks after neighboring Uganda banned sports gambling for encouraging laziness among youths.

“I have instructed the PS in charge of Immigration and the Director General of Immigration services to be involved to ensure that everyone who is involved in this exercise especially those who are not citizens of this country are properly documented and they have the right papers to be in our country, where they are not the law should take its course immediately and we should call them to account,” says Matiang'i.

There are more than 50 betting firms currently operating in Kenya with the most popular ones being SportPesa, Betin, Betway,1XBet, BetPawa, Shabiki among others.