This archive report was first published on 7 July 2020.
Kenya's stringent betting laws have been hailed as a success by the government, which claims they have brought sanity to the country. However, the laws have also been linked to a betting scandal in England, where Wigan Athletic's relegation to the third-tier of football has raised eyebrows.
According to reports, someone placed a multi-million dollar bet on Wigan's relegation, which has been linked to the team's financial woes. The situation has sparked an investigation by the club, which has been sold to a new owner in the past month.
Wigan's relegation was announced last week, and it was later revealed that the club had gone into administration. The club's current owner is a high-stakes poker player from Hong Kong, who purchased the team just four weeks ago.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has defended Kenya's betting laws, saying they have brought sanity to the country and prevented criminals and money launderers from thriving. He also claimed that the laws have prevented betting companies from operating in Kenya, saying 'betting almost destroyed our country'.
Meanwhile, English Football League (EFL) chairman Rick Parry was secretly filmed telling a Wigan supporter that there was a rumour that Wigan's financial woes were connected to a 'bet in the Philippines on them being relegated'.
