This archive report was first published on 16 July 2019.
On July 16, 2019, the Kenyan government took a significant step in its crackdown on the betting industry by ordering the deportation of 17 foreign directors of betting firms whose licenses were not renewed.
The decision was made after the National Security Advisory Committee (NSAC), with the blessings of President Uhuru Kenyatta, decided there would be no backing down on the war against rogue betting companies.
According to sources, among those deported were directors from Bulgaria, Italy, Russia, and Poland. The deportation orders stated that those sent back home were in Kenya illegally since the licenses of the companies they were running were cancelled.
The Interior ministry refused to disclose the names of those deported citing security concerns.
On the same day, banks started to freeze the accounts which are thought to hold billions of shillings following an order by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) on Monday night.
Additionally, SportPesa, Betin, and Betpawa moved to court seeking to reverse an earlier decision by the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) to block their paybill numbers and short codes.
