Sportpesa Announces Comeback

Sportpesa CEO Ronald Karauri has announced the comeback of the betting firm after it halted its operations in Kenya in September 2019. 

"SportPesa is back! I’m happy to announce that the SportPesa brand is back under a new BCLB license holder. 

''As market leaders, SportPesa will focus on upholding the highest standards of service and responsible gaming. We look forward to working closely with BCLB and all other stakeholders.

We are excited to explore a wide range of partnerships in Kenya over the coming weeks and months, which will prioritize the development of sports in communities across our Great Country," Part of the statement by the CEO read. 

In 2019, The giant betting firm halted its operations in Kenya and faulted the Government for what they termed as a 'harsh environment' to operate in. 

“Until such a time that adequate taxation and non-hostile regulatory environment is returned, the SportPesa brand will halt operations in Kenya," part of the statement by Sportpesa in 2019 read. 

The Government of Kenya withdrew the license of the betting firm and directed communication telcos including Safaricom and Airtel to withdraw their pay bill numbers. 

The Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) would later say that they would only renew the betting firm's license once they met all the renewal requirements.

Sportpesa and BCLB now seem to have reached a consensus after the announcement of Sportpesa's return to the Kenyan market.