SportPesa’s Kenyan Operations to Resume
Kenya’s Betting Control and Licensing Board rejected SportPesa’s license, along with those of 26 other brands, in July this year. This happened mere weeks before it ordered various telecom companies to freeze the pay bill and shortcode numbers that allow customers to fund their online accounts. But the sports betting and casino game platform is hoping to restart its services very soon. They are now just waiting for confirmation from the BCLB to get up and running again.
Sponsorships to Be Reinstated
SportPesa also asserted that they would be restarting all the sponsorship agreements that got affected when they had their operating license revoked.
Ngumo indicated that as soon as they were back on track, the firm would be reviewing the company’s overall position and re-establishing their previous commitments in terms of sponsorship. She added that her organisation remains as firmly committed to the promotion and development of sports in Kenya as they ever were.
No one is going to be as pleased about this news as the struggling soccer teams AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia. Both squads had an exceedingly difficult time financially after SportPesa cancelled their sponsorships when the platform lost its license due to issues of non-tax compliance.
SportPesa vs. the BCLB
Jean Kiarie Ngumo, Group Head of Communications for the company revealed that they went ahead in terms of a directive from the BCLB that they could finally apply for a renewed license. The firm received this enjoinment on Wednesday the 18th of September and said they finished the process immediately.
Ngumo said that she’s optimistic that the Board will hurry along in terms of verifying the permit, and let it be known that as soon as they’ve been cleared to do so, SportPesa will swing right into action and get players and bettors connected to the games and events they’re looking for.
Ngumo was quick to state that she was well aware of bettors’ and players’ frustrations, but said that their cancelled services would soon be restored. The letter applying for their licensing renewal was sent off on the 19th of September 2019, she said, and, all being well, will bring their long wait to resume operations to an end.
Acting Board Director for the BCLB, however, has already started clashing with SportPesa. He stated on Thursday the 19th of September that they have not received any letter of application from the betting and casino game company. He said that once it did come through it would be verified and, possibly, renewed. At least 10 other betting companies have also been cleared to resume operations in this way after the crackdown in July.
Despite receiving initial clearance from Kenya’s Revenue Authority as early this month as the 3rd, SportPesa had to wait until the 18th for the BCLB to make contact. Ngumo asserted that her organisation is very confident that things will go as they should and quickly, however, since the application was finished and sent off as per the directive the day after it was received.
