Best Betting Sites in Kenya

Where to bet safely in Kenya and which online bookmakers to join?

Get to know which betting sites enjoy popularity among Kenyan players and how much is the welcome bonus they offer by studying the table below. Be sure to read on for more particulars regarding each bookie and the products it offers.

Best Bookies in Kenya – Rank List

1. 1xbet – Silentbet’s pick for best bookie in Kenya
2. 22bet – Most varied promotions for Kenyans
3. Helabet – Safe and secure local betting site
4. Megapari – Great KES betting site
5. Paripesa – Excellent choice for casino fans

Kenya’s Top bookmakers

There are a number of bookmakers in Kenya offering their services through casino products and sports betting. The bookmakers provide compelling bonus prizes, among others. We have reviewed each brand below:

1xbet

This is a reasonably new betting site in Kenya. It has some of the highest odds, especially on live and pre-match games and also plenty of bonuses. In fact, 1xbet Kenya offers lots of casino games and sports markets. They have a live casino and other games of chance ready for their players. Games of the opportunity provided by the casino include Thimbles, Dice, Wheel of Fortune, Heads or tails, and Daily lottery. There are also Games of skill such as Pairs of Cards.

22bet

Although this company has existed for over a decade, 22Bet are relatively new to the Kenyan betting scene. Despite this, maybe because of the 22bet’s attractive bonuses, they have the necessary license and are quickly becoming one of the largest competitors. They provide betting on all different types of sports, as well as live betting options. With various promotions aimed at both new and existing customers, they really provide an incentive to keep playing, as well as high-quality customer service.

Helabet

This is one of the biggest Kenyan sportsbooks which has had its presence felt all over Africa. They offer exciting sporting events such as horse racing, football to cricket. Helabet is where you will find the best odds for the Kenyan Premier League. They offer lotteries and weekly jackpots.

MegaPari

Online since 2019, Megapari is a site available for registration from Kenya.

It offers KES bonuses and promotions that go with their sportsbook and online casino.

The brand also comes with excellent mobile version and apps you can download for on-the-go and safer betting.

Paripesa

The online betting brand Paripesa is one of the fast-growing companies in the industry. Found in 2019, nowadays, it is among the most popular and trustworthy operators in Africa.

Kenyan players can avail of a wide range of betting options if they decide to make a quick registration with the brand.

The Paripesa sportsbook is truly remarkable. However, what amazes us the most is the various casino. Besides the typical slots and live-dealer games, casino fans can test their luck on TV Shows, special Games, Bingo and even Poker.

What to consider when choosing a betting site in Kenya?

Kenyan players sometimes have a hard time selecting a betting site because of the many gambling facilities available. It is straightforward to get conned when you do not know what a good bookmaker entails. There are several things to consider when choosing a betting site:

• Company’s reputation
  A company that has been around for a long time and is well established is a betting site that can be trusted when compared to a new betting site. A player should carry out thorough research before joining a betting site to ensure that the company has had no complaints in the past.
• Bonuses and promotions
  Before signing up with an online bookmaker, consider the bonuses and promotions they offer. There are bookmakers that reward their customers with bonuses after they refer to new players. There are other companies that offer their clients sign up pand others that give promotions to players who miss out on jackpot prizes by three games or one. Kindly consider the benefits that a bookmaker offers before signing up with one.
• Minimum deposits
  Consider the minimum deposits that you have to bet on before joining a betting site. There are betting sites like Elitebet that allows players to bet with as low as 5 Kenyan shillings. Mcheza will enable players to place bets with a minimum amount of 100 Kenyan Shillings. Consider this factor because you need to know how much you are willing to put at stake.
• The quality of odds
  As a player, you place stakes on games. There are different betting odds for different betting sites. Identify the betting site with the highest odds. For example, Sportpesa and Ogabet provide their players with higher odds compared to their counterparts.

Betting in Kenya – Trivia

• Population: 49.7 Million
• Active Gamblers: Estimated 12 million
• Designated Authority: Betting and Control Betting Board
• Regulated Gambling Products: Casinos, Bingo, Lotteries, Sports Betting, and Poker
• Types of Operators: Brick-and-mortar casinos, lotteries, foreign-based online casinos

Did you know that?

• Kenya is among the three largest gambling markets in Africa
• The gambling market could grow to as much as $635 billion by 2022
• The betting industry paid $28.3 million in taxes in 2015 and is ranked third in Africa
• A 20% tax is expected to be implemented by the Kenyan Government
• 79% of the bets placed in Kenya are on football bets

Gambling in Kenya

According to the recent Geopoll’s series of studies on the rise of gambling in Africa, Kenya was shown to have the highest number of youth engaging in sports betting in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sports betting is the most common form of gambling in the country. The Geopoll Study was carried out in April 2019 where a national quantitative survey was carried out via mobile SMS. 1300 respondents between the ages of 18-45 years old were sampled between samples of 50:50 male to female ratio. The purpose of the survey was to understand the Kenyan betting behavior, what drives them, and their decision-making patterns.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, gambling has risen as a multi-billion dollar business. According to estimates by Dublin-based Research and Markets, the gambling market could increase to $635 billion by 2022. A PWC report carried out in 2017, showed Kenya was among the three largest gambling markets in Africa. The Geopoll survey of 2017 also showed that Kenya’s youth were mostly affected by Gambling due to their high affinity towards sports and technology. The convenience of the mobile phone as a tool for gambling and the rise of local sports also contribute to the high rate of gambling.

In Kenya, the gambling industry is made up of different sub-sectors; they include prize competitions, lotteries, gaming, and sports betting. In Kenya, more than 30 licensed betting firms and casinos available. Like many other African countries, Kenyans enjoy gambling for leisure and recreational activities, making it a hot bet for the gambling industry. Also, the high rise of mobile betting and also online-based gambling has brought forth new challenges to the regulatory board primarily because of the increase in addiction to sports betting. Gambling in Kenya did not start recently, but the recent upsurge in sports betting has been due to the accessibility of sports betting sites on phone and also accessibility to the internet.

Is gambling in Kenya Legal?

The Kenyan gambling laws came into play in 1966 after the introduction of the Betting Lotteries and Gaming Act. These laws gave rise to the Betting and Control Betting Board, which is concerned with the issuance of gambling licenses and also enforces regulations in all sectors of gambling. In Kenya, there are 11 bingo halls, 28 casinos and also 3 sportsbooks and another 1 horse racing track. All these gambling facilities and games are regulated and are land-based. The casino games such as bingo, lotteries, sports betting, and poker are all state-run monopolies and are quite common.

Online gambling in Kenya was also a state monopoly industry, but unfortunately, the Betkenya.com who were the significant runners of the online gambling services closed up their services, and this left no legal options for fair play in online sports betting. There are so many online gaming sites available for Kenyan players. The Kenyan Government does not restrict these sites, but they have recently begun to give licenses to an online sportsbook. Therefore, gambling in Kenya has been legal since 1966, and the upsurge of regulating and issuing licenses to gambling sites have risen over the years. Kenya’s revenue is increasing owing to the rise in land-based casinos.

Do Kenyan players get restricted by some bookmakers? Why?

Kenya is a realm for online casinos. Majority of the online casinos are operating on Kenyan grounds, whether licensed or unlicensed. There are some bookmakers who have been restricted by the Kenyan government from operating in Kenya because they are unlicensed, making them unavailable to Kenyan players.

For minors under 18 years of age, almost all bookmakers restrict them from using their sites to place bets.

How much tax do you pay on gambling winnings in Kenya?

Three years ago, a 20% tax on winnings was supposed to be implemented by the Kenyan government, but it has not been put in place yet. No meaningful revenues have been collected to date from online-casinos or players. There is, however, a 20% tax that has been implanted on lottery winnings; sources of revenues are from Kenyan gambling operations, and they come through revenues and taxes.

About the gambling market

The gambling market in Kenya has rapidly grown over the last few years. The wide variety of free bet Kenya been offered by reputable gaming companies has fuelled this growth. According to a Geopoll study conducted; the Kenyan youth between the ages of 17 years and 35 years tops the list of bettors in the African Continent. Nairobi is the largest gambling destination in Kenya and houses 128 table games, 908 video poker and slot machines and 18 gambling facilities. The massive interest of sports by Kenyan youth has sparked the growth of betting in the country.

Kenyan youth are spending about $50 on football matches every month. Football is the most preferred sport among Kenyan gamblers, and it tops the list of the most betted sport. A gambling outlook financial report of 2017-2021 by the PWC showed that the annual turnover of the sports betting industry in Kenya is worth over $20 million. It is estimated that this amount will rise to $50 million as demand continues to grow.  According to the Business Daily, the formal betting industry paid $28.3 million in taxes in 2015 and is ranked third in Africa closely after South Africa and Nigeria.

The gross gambling revenue for the 2016/2017 financial year was at $20 billion as per the figures from the Kenyan gambling regulator, Betting Control and Licensing Board. Sites such as Sportpesa have brought the rise of sports betting in Kenya. The company has managed to accumulate enough revenue to be able to fund major premier leagues in Kenya shortly before breaking into the International arena.

The gambling market has also grown due to the extensive advertising applied by the betting companies primarily through great companies such as Safaricom Limited.

The most popular betting features and options in Kenya

Bet365 is among and most probably the largest betting site in the world. It is also very popular in various African countries. Live streaming is available for registered users, and this allows the players to watch tennis and football for free. 1xBet offers Kenyans a number of accumulators such as chain bet, anti-accumulator, and lucky. They also have 100% bet insurance services where players are offered a paid service where they can insure part, or the entire bet they have staked. There are also live streaming options at 1xBet.

There are other betting options such as Advancebet; where having some money locked in pending bets and then take an advance payment that is calculated on the potential returns and the ability to place more bets.

Available bonuses for Kenyan players

Bet365 offers an exciting welcome bonus package. This is set aside for new players in Kenya, and the welcome bonus is at 100% bonus that goes up to $100; Bet365 has the best offer so far in Kenya. At William Hill, new Kenyan players are offered free bets of $25. At 10bet Kenya, new Kenyan players are given a welcome bonus of 50%, which is up to $200. At PalmsBet Kenya, players will enjoy some bonuses and also be given the opportunity of taking part in a jackpot. At 5 Dimes Casino, players are credited with $50 when they sign up.

The favourite sports of Kenyan bettors

Sports betting dominates the Kenyan gambling market. Kenyan players sometimes play for fun and thrill other than playing for real. Local Kenyan players always get a thrill whenever a bet is placed on a game. Punters have a choice of sticking with a game they follow or even a team. Kenyan players who are involved in different competitions will have various top sports to bet. There are four games that Kenyan players enjoy most.

• Basketball
  Basketball is comprised of tact and skills and has all the characteristics that are found in Kenyan athletics. Kenyans love following the NBA on a global scale and also place bets on it. Kenyan punters are always checking on various rankings to narrow down on teams that are doing well. This helps them during betting in the regular Basketball season. The competition is held in the US, and these rankings are helpful for Kenyans to help them analyze the teams and also help them make informed decisions.
• Cricket
  Punters in Kenya will always be caught glued to their screens following Cricket games. The Cricket World Cup helps them to keep entertained with their favourite sport. Kenyans once made the World Cup status in 2003, and they are hoping to perform better sometimes in future.
• Athletics
  Kenyans are very popular when it comes to Athletics. Bets are placed on athletics such as long-distance running. Bets are also placed on Olympic competitions, and Kenyan players are well informed about matches and games and follow them religiously.
• Football
  The soccer prediction is also a very major part of sports betting. There are very many soccer prediction sites that dominate the Kenyan industry.

Are online casinos popular in the market?

The Kenyan government does not bother blocking many online gambling sites in Kenya. Therefore, very many online casinos find a way in the Kenyan market. Kenyan players also have a lot of choices to make concerning the top-rated online gambling sites especially due to the fantastic bonus prizes.  The various online casinos include Casino Kings, 5 Dimes, Carnival Casino, and Play Grand Casino.

Currency and Preferred payment methods in Kenya?

The Kenyan shilling is the official currency of Kenya. This method of payment is accepted all over the country. There are plenty of payment options to choose from as a Kenyan player. There are major credit cards such as Mastercard, Maestro, and Visa that are accepted. Others include e-wallet methods such as Neteller and Skrill. Pre-paid cards are also widely accepted and also bank wire transfers and can be used to deposit and withdraw funds. Kenyans are advised to check their gambling sites to see the options available.

Bookies with mobile apps for Kenyan customers

For a long time now, Kenyans have been enjoying online sports betting. Mobile phones are quite popular in Kenya, and therefore mobile sports betting has become quite popular. There are mobile betting sites for every device, such as iPhone, Windows, Blackberry, Android, and Nokia. Bookies that operate mobile apps include Bet365 and Helabet, among others.

Final Comments

Sports betting is a way for Kenyan players to make an extra profit while at the same time, enjoying being part of the game. It is important for Kenyans to take note of the best betting sites available for them depending on the bonuses and other features. A number of top bookmakers in the Kenyan market are legal and hold licenses allowing them to offer Kenyan players gaming activities. Kenyans, especially the Kenyan youth, should take caution about betting on more than they can afford.

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