This archive report was first published on 6 August 2019.
On August 6, 2019, Betin Kenya's website was inaccessible, with the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) at the center of the issue.
The website, hosted by Deep Africa Limited, had been down since late July, grounding the betting company's online transactions.
According to a notice sent to Parliament, the CA had ordered Deep Africa to shut down Betin Kenya's internet web domain, www.betin.co.ke, over the ongoing licensing dispute.
‘The Communications Authority has proceeded to instruct the web hosting organisation, Deep Africa Limited, to shut down the company’s internet web domain www.betin.co.ke,’ reads part of the letter to the Senate committee.
Betin Kenya is among 27 companies whose betting licences had not been renewed after June 30, pending the outcome of an inquiry about their suitability to operate in the country.
Its M-Pesa paybill was disabled, preventing new deposits that are used to place bets on mobile phones and to pay those who win.
On July 10, the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) ordered Safaricom to suspend M-Pesa payment systems and SMS codes for 27 betting firms, including SportPesa and Betin, saying their operating licences for the year starting July 1 were not up to date.
