Market report Kenya scraps controversial 20% tax on betting stakes Kenya’s government has scrapped a 20% tax on betting stakes and winnings that was imposed on betting companies in 2018. The decision to impose the tax led to the closure of several betting companies including one of the biggest called SportPesa. SportPesa at the time pulled out of all local sports sponsorship after it lost a court case challenging the government’s decision. The company however appealed the decision last year and a tribunal ruled that the tax should be charged on winnings, and not the stakes placed. Three-quarters of 17- to 35-year-olds in Kenya surveyed admitted to having placed a bet. The government said it increased the tax on sports betting sites, because it was worried about the effects of gambling. The removal of the taxes now according to experts could once again breathe life back into sports betting industry Kenya. Kenyan officials last year also launched a major crackdown on betting companies suspending licenses of 27 of them. The act affected top betting brands like SportPesa and Betway, some of these betting firms sacked some of their staff. n
Angola authorizes betting and online gambling with licenses for 10 years
The Angolan Government published the regulation that establishes the rules for companies interested in the online gambling and betting business, practiced at a distance through electronic, computer, telematic and interactive media or by any other ways. In the African country, the licenses will last for 10 years and anyone who has regularized contributory and tax status may apply. The authorization, signed by President João Lourenço, establishes that the so-called “remote online gaming” will be marked and framed in a perspective of supply and demand and in which the principles of preventing excessive gambling will be safeguarded. Among the various conditions imposed on interested companies, they will have to have a bank account with an Angolan financial institution, as well as identify all their shareholders. It is also mentioned that the payment of the prizes will be made in national currency (kwanza) and through bank transfers. The new regulation establishes that the entities will have to install and maintain a technical system for the exploitation of online gaming and betting, create a registration and an account for each player, define the bonus allocation policy, as well as pay the prizes in the amount informed. n
Why gaming in Burundi is business as usual Burundi is an East African country, landlocked by bordering countries; DRC, Tanzania, and Rwanda. This country has a population of 12.7
million people as of 2019. The capital city is Bujumbura which is the pinnacle of gaming activities in the country. Bujumbura hosts the largest casino in the country, the Lydia Ludic Casino. Gambling is illegal in Burundi however, casino gambling is allowed in one casino in the capital city based on the intention of job provision for the locals. There is a national lottery in Burundi as well, which is popularly known as LONA which is conducted for charity purposes. Most of these online lottery sites are illegal, however, the gambling community can access offshore online gambling sites. Other forms of gambling include sports betting, poker, and Bingo. The gambling industry is rather undeveloped since the locals are the major players in the only land-based casino. This is as a result of the soiled history by the wars between the Hutu and Tutsi communities. It’s quite obvious that tourists are not attracted to this country for these reasons. n
Exciting time ahead for Ivory Coast – lottery industry Ivory Coast is a West African country located on the Gulf of Guinea. The country boasts magnificent beach resorts and a legacy of French colonial architecture. Just north of the business district in the nation major urban centre and de facto capital of Abidjan city, which is made up of 31 regions across the country, though gambling is legal as well as online gambling in the country. However, few
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