This archive report was first published on 16 July 2019.
On July 16, 2019, the Interior ministry issued deportation orders against 17 foreign directors of betting firms, days after withdrawing the operating licences of several companies.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi signed the deportation orders shortly after 2pm, following a decision by the National Security Advisory Committee (NSAC) to stand firm against rogue betting companies.
The targeted directors, whose nationalities included Bulgaria, Italy, Russia, and Poland, were detained for hours awaiting the signing of their deportation orders.
According to Interior Spokesperson Wangui Muchiri, the identities of the targeted directors or their firms were not disclosed at the time, as those being deported had to be arrested first.
The move came after the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) withdrew the operating licences of 27 betting firms, including top firms SportPesa and Betin Kenya, pending the outcome of an ongoing inquiry about their suitability to operate in the country.
As the police hunted down the directors set for deportation, the Financial Reporting Centre (FRC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) opened investigations on the bank accounts of the 27 betting companies, following a request from the BCLB.
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) had issued an alert to banks that the betting firms had no licences, leading to the freezing of their bank accounts, which were thought to hold billions of shillings.
Online sports betting has grown rapidly in recent years, with a combined revenue of Sh204 billion, sparking government concerns about the social impact of betting.
