Africa

Kenya destroys 192 illegal gaming machines

Published

6 years ago

July 3, 2018

Kenya destroys 192 illegal gaming machines

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The police authorities in eastern Kenya have burned 192 illegal machines, allegedly imported from China. The police has been on the consistent look-out to nab any illegal gaming activities throughout the country.

Gambling at casinos and other government-sanctioned gaming facilities is legal in Kenya. However, such gambling facilities are not available in villages, where people tend to resort to illegal gambling operators.

Kenya is a unique country in Africa. More than 60 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) comes from tourism.

The biggest draws for tourism in the country are the wildlife preserves that contain lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and wildebeests. In addition, the country also has ecotourism, which is drawing many tourists under the age of 40 who are interested in seeing natural landmarks but still want to minimise their carbon footprints. It is estimated that tourists spend an average of $257 million each year in Kenya, so it represents an overwhelming amount for the economy.

Gambling has been legal in some areas of Kenya since the 1960s when the country gained independence from the United Kingdom. The country currently licenses or operates 28 casinos, 11 bingo parlours, a horse racing track, and three sportsbooks. In addition, lotteries, bingo, and poker are also permitted in designated areas. All the casinos and other gambling establishments are in large cities, such as Mombasa and Nairobi.

But, people in smaller cities and even smaller townships do not have casinos in the area. In addition, the government has still not worked to fully regulate online gaming, although there is an increasing number of Kenyans who are choosing to gamble online rather than visiting a casino. For these individuals, illegal machines may be their only form of gaming entertainment.

Machines from China

China does not permit legal gambling on the mainland, but it does permit gambling in Macau and Hong Kong. These two areas are governed by different rules than the rest of China.

China has been cracking down on its illegal gaming institutions for many years, burning and destroying gaming machines wherever they are found. However, the country has many companies that produce gaming machines for casinos throughout Asia despite the fact the Chinese people themselves are not able to gamble. Chinese companies ship gaming machines all over Asia and the rest of the world, without asking where they are going, to make a profit they can’t make in their own country.

The gaming machines confiscated by the Kenyan government were not manufactured in China and shipped to Kenya, but, in fact, were manufactured in Kenya. A Chinese factory in Itabua, which was supposed to be manufacturing other equipment, was instead found to be manufacturing gaming machines. The machines found during the last raid and burned were said to have a street value of about $13 million. Several Chinese nationals who were running the machine production were arrested.

In addition to finding the gaming machines at the factory and burning them, the Kenyan government has also been finding them in shops and other locations, sometimes burning the machines with money still inside, and arresting the shop owners.

The Kenyan government has said the reason it wants to burn all the machines is because children are using the machines to gamble and are losing their parents’ money when they should be in school. However, some sources are pointing to the Kenyan government not wanting to lose out on revenue taken in by legitimate gaming establishments in the country.

Source: usaonlinecasino.com

Africa

Hub88 partners with LiveGames to enhance content offering

Published

1 day ago

April 24, 2024

George Miller

Hub88 partners with LiveGames to enhance content offering

Reading Time: < 1 minute

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

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2024

George Miller

NE Group powers 888bets launch in Angola

Reading Time: < 1 minute

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

Published

2 weeks ago

April 8, 2024

George Miller

KingMakers’ Nigerian operating business, BetKing, selects Genius Sports to power growth with in-play trading services

Reading Time: < 1 minute

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.”