Betting firm Betin Kenya has sued Safaricom after its SMS short codes and pay bill numbers were deactivated. The closure of its payment channels were effected after the government, through Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB), ordered Safaricom to suspend M-Pesa payment systems and SMS codes of all the non-tax compliant gambling entities starting July 10.
Betin is seeking a court order directing the telecommunication service provider to unblock its pay bills and SMS short codes.
“The interested party (Safaricom) be directed to unblock the applicant’s pay bill account numbers 997270 and 244449, which it disabled on July 12,” said Betin in a court petition.
The betting company wants Safaricom to stop honouring directives from the Betting Control and Licensing Board.
“The interested party be directed to refrain from giving effect to or acting on any directive by the respondent (BCLB) in relation to the applicants pay bill account numbers pending the hearing and determination of this application," part of the petition reads.
High Court Judge Weldon Korir directed Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) and Safaricom to respond to the application before he makes a decision on Betin's application.
However, the government maintains that the services will remain suspended until tax compliance is adhered to and licenses renewed.