Government deports 17 foreigners involved in illegal betting

Matiang'i deports 17 betting investors

Mumbi Mutuko

May 22, 2019 7:22 AM

Investors in the betting and gambling sector deported following Matiangi's order

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i

Kenya has deported seventeen foreigners involved in illegal gambling business in the country.

This comes after Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i directed the Immigration PS Gordon Kihalangwa to review working permits of foreigners who had applied to conduct other businesses but ended up investing in the betting industry.

Those sent back to their countries include Chinese, Turkish and Spanish nationals in renewed efforts by the government to tame the betting industry.

CS Matiang’i directed PS Kihalangwa to review the working permit of all foreigners who applied to do business in the country.

Undisputed growth in betting

The CS had also pointed out that over 90 percent of players in the gaming industry are foreigners and they repatriate a huge amount of money to their countries.

The Kenyan betting industry has recorded a gross gambling revenue of Ksh7 billion monthly and about Ksh100 billion annually, according to the betting regulator.

A recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers indicated that the yearly turnover of the sports betting industry in Kenya is worth Ksh2 billion, and will reach Ksh5 billion in 2020 as demand grows.

Mumbi Mutuko