Betting giant firm Sportpesa has been cleared by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) a move that technically gives it a lifeline in the betting business.
The firm has been out of operation for over two months now after Betting Control and Licensing Board blacklisted it as one of betting firms that had not complied with regulations.
Government of Kenya vowed to crack a whip on betting firms that were not ready to adhere to the gambling rules, with SportPesa being one of those affected.
In a statement on Tuesday, the company confirmed that it had been cleared by KRA, adding that it will resume business in the near future.
“There has been notable progress in these sessions, and we are pleased that Kenya Revenue Authority have now cleared us to have our license renewed. SportPesa is confident that these processes will be completed soon, allowing the company to resume full operations,” said SportPesa in a press statement released Tuesday evening.
“… we will be communicating soon on when we will be commencing operations,” said the betting firm.SportPesa, which alongside Betin and Betway controls 85 per cent of the Kenyan betting market, allegedly owes KRA Ksh14.9 billion in unpaid taxes.
The news is a great boost to local sporting activities since the company has been funding a number of team in the Kenya Premier League.
Last month, a number of legislators led by Babu Owino of Embakasi East threatened to take Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang'i head-on over refusal to have the betting companies regulated.
And now, the company will have to make a fresh application to the Betting Control and Licensing Board for the license, a move that would take a couple of days.