Africa
Kenya lottery sues gov’t over planned gambling tax hikes
A Kenyan lottery operator has sued the government over its plans to hike gambling taxes by 35% starting next year.
On Thursday, Business Daily Africa reported that the Pambazuka National Lottery(PNL) had filed a High Court lawsuit against Kenya’s Betting Control and Licensing Board, the National Assembly, the Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner-General and the Attorney General over the gambling tax hikes approved earlier this year.
PNL’s lawsuit claims the tax hikes – which replaced variable tax rates on betting, gaming, lottery and sweepstakes operators with a uniform 35% rate – were unconstitutional, in that parliament approved them as part of a national budget, not standalone legislation, which would have required greater public input.
The tax hike is set to take effect on January 1, 2018 and PNL’s lawyers claim that PNL and other Kenyan gambling operators “will likely suffer closure as well as collapse” if the Court doesn’t act before that date.
PNL isn’t the first Kenyan firm to challenge the tax hike in court. In April, sports betting operator Sportpesa filed its own lawsuit against the government’s original plan, which would have seen the gambling tax hiked to 50%. For what it’s worth, Sportpesa is a PNL partner and PNL products are available via Sportpesa’s website.
Complicating matters, Kenya is enduring some serious political upheaval at the moment, as the country is headed into a presidential election on October 26 – the second such national poll in less than three months – after the country’s supreme court nullified President Uhuru Kenyatta’s August victory due to electoral ‘irregularities.’
Opposition leader Raila Odinga is boycotting the upcoming vote due to suspicions that it will be subject to similar irregularities and has called for public protests to force changes to the country’s electoral commission.
SPORTPESA URGES SPORTS STAKEHOLDERS TO TAKE ACTION
Meanwhile, SportPesa launched a new campaign this week intended to boost Kenya’s sports profile on the world stage. The new ‘Tujiamini’ campaign urges stakeholders at all levels to do what they can to help bring the local sports ecosystem up to global standards.
On hand for this week’s campaign launch was SportPesa CEO Ronald Karauri, who said Kenya had “a proud sporting history” thanks to athletes that had brought glory to the nation in international competitions. Karauri challenged sports stakeholders, including himself, on whether they were “doing enough to uphold this legacy.”
Karauri’s words stand in stark contrast to his warnings this June that SportPesa would likely be forced to scrap its many sponsorship deals with local sports bodies as of January 1 due to the financial hardships the new betting tax would impose on his company. It remains to be seen whether this week’s campaign represents a sober rethink of the original plan, or a reminder of what the nation’s sporting world stands to lose.
Africa
Hub88 partners with LiveGames to enhance content offering
Hub88 has partnered with live casino supplier LiveGames, further strengthening its product offering by adding a unique range of content to its platform.
LiveGames provides fully customisable online live dealer games and branded tables including the first vertical roulette table in the sector, along with crash games and the widely played Tombola.
The supplier delivers experiences with a player-focused design, easy to use mobile interface, and high-resolution broadcasts.
The partnership will support LiveGames’ goal to further expand in international markets, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America where Hub88 has a strong presence.
The deal showcases Hub88’s commitment to grow its ecosystem of partners, offering a diverse portfolio of products and content.
Ollie Castleman, Head of Hub88, said: “We’re thrilled to unveil this strategic partnership with LiveGames which sees us add a great provider to our platform, one that utilises modern technology to offer bespoke and personalised gaming experiences to players.
“We are looking forward to collaborating and strengthening our content library with their diverse games.”
The LiveGames Team said: “Our journey started in a small studio and as a team, we are excited about now expanding to every corner of the world together with Hub88 and their extensive operator network.
“We are committed to promoting innovation in the industry and this partnership will support us on that mission.”
Africa
NE Group powers 888bets launch in Angola
NE Group, a leading B2B iGaming software supplier, has teamed up with online gambling operator 888 to launch 888bets for the Angolan market.
888Africa was originally set up to operate 888 brands in online betting and gaming markets across hand-picked regulated countries within Africa. Angolan sports bettors will now have seamless access to online sports betting through 888bets.co.ao
NE Group specialises in offering innovative, lightweight front-end solutions for best-in-class iGaming experiences. An extensive localised knowledge is the inspiration behind a platform that is renowned for flexibility and adaptation for unique African preferences. Together with 888, the platform delivers smooth gameplay across diverse data speed environments – essential for broad accessibility in Africa.
For the first time in the country, Angolan bettors will have the opportunity to experience the acclaimed Aviator crash-game on the platform. Additionally, the new site incorporates built-in features and tools for Responsible Gaming teams to monitor and support safe gaming practices
NE Group CEO Imran Bukhari said: “It’s brilliant to see the 888bets sportsbook launch in Angola to bring sports betting fans an experience they deserve. Our specialised sports betting platform and lightweight frontend solution for Africa allows 888bets to quickly scale.”
888bets added: “As a country with huge potential, we expect big things from our launch in Angola. Working with NE Group has enabled us to deliver an experience that sports bettors will love and that is enriched with engaging products.”
Africa
KingMakers’ Nigerian operating business, BetKing, selects Genius Sports to power growth with in-play trading services
New partnership sees KingMakers’ BetKing business benefit from Genius Sports’ leading portfolio of in-play content in Nigeria, including football, tennis and basketball
Genius Sports Limited has today announced a new agreement to supply KingMakers, one of the fastest-growing group of betting operators in Africa, with a range of in-play trading services.
The deal sees BetKing power its live betting product with ultra-fast venue content for the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, English Football League, FIBA basketball and every other major European and South American football league.
Genius Sports will also provide BetKing with its market-leading trading services which include modelled odds feeds for major football competitions.
With in-play sports betting growing rapidly across Africa, fast and accurate odds are vital to maximising revenues by increasing the availability of betting markets.
Tim Smeets, Trading Director at Kingmakers said “We’re thrilled to announce our new partnership with Genius Sports. Their trusted trading solutions, including low-latency in-play content on crucial football leagues like the Premier League, will enable us to offer market-leading betting experiences for BetKing users in Nigeria.”
Will Westcott, Head of Business Development at Genius Sports said “Every year, we continue to invest in delivering the highest-quality trading services for the African market. With the value of in-play betting growing across Africa, we’re excited to help BetKing execute its online sports betting vision in Nigeria, by providing it with the fastest, most reliable live content on the market for major sports.”
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