This archive report was first published on 19 July 2019.
On July 15, 2019, the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) issued a directive to Airtel, ordering the shutdown of playbill numbers for betting firms whose licenses had not been renewed.
The move comes a week after the BCLB gave similar directives to Safaricom, banks, and the Communication Authority of Kenya, threatening the Sh200 billion betting industry.
Airtel, the second-largest mobile service provider, had continued to operate the playbill numbers of betting firms despite the crackdown.
According to a letter from BCLB acting managing director Liti Wambua, the licenses for several companies were not renewed due to outstanding renewal requirements and ongoing due diligence.
Wambua requested Airtel to suspend the playbills and short codes of the affected companies until further notice.
He also advised Airtel to allow customers to withdraw their deposits before July 19, 2019, and to share the number of people who withdrew their money and the total amount with the BCLB.
The BCLB has been implementing a government directive to disable the operations of 27 betting firms.
Top betting firms, including SportPesa and Betin Kenya, have moved to court, escalating their row with the BCLB.
They have sued the government, seeking compensation for the days they have been out of business and claiming that the shutdown of their payment systems is illegal.
