Betsafe Arrives on Kenyan Market, Ready to Take on Sportpesa

The sports betting industry in Kenya has just got more competitive with Betsson’s leading sports betting brand, Betsafe, dipping a toe into the country after previously sponsoring two of Kenya’s largest soccer teams.

Kenya Welcomes Betsafe as an Official Betting Operator

Betsafe, a Betsson brand, is all fired up to make its mark on Kenya, with the company launching a new marketing campaign designed to boost awareness and reception for the newly-launched brand.

The company took the opportunity to sponsor sports clubs earlier in 2020, as SportPesa was forced to withdraw its backing for soccer clubs in the country as a form of protest over tax dispute with the government.

Operating out of Malta, Betsafe is now rallying financial support for Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards to boost its presence in the public eye and has teamed up with Bet High Limited to spearhead further marketing efforts.

Betsafe plans to get everything right, having officially opened for business today, Wednesday, December 2. The company is looking for a targeted approach allowing the brand to already run successful betting businesses in no fewer than 20 markets.

Focusing on Regulation and Responsible Gambling

Bet High will now help BetSafe create a brand identity that resonates with the local sports bettors, but also covers government and regulator-mandated rules of compliance. Betsafe will focus on responsible gambling through a specially-appointed officer for the purpose.

“Our Responsible gaming program is unlike any other in this market with the safety of the Kenyan sports betting fans in mind,” said Bet High Ltd. Acting Managing Director Alex Kobia.

Kobia went further to highlight the innate advantages of Betsafe’s website and specifically solutions such as control and safety features, self-exclusion and support under ‘Gamehelp,’ an organization dedicated to addressing problem gambling.

He further explained that the sponsorships deals with Gor Mahia FC and AFC Leopards have been crucial for the company’s launch as the two teams represent a significant portion of the country’s soccer fans.

Betsafe will seek to actively empower grassroots soccer and develop opportunities for better sports infrastructure as well as turning budding Kenyan soccer stars into fully-fledged athletes.

Embracing Innovation to Deliver Industry-Leading Betting Experience

Launching in the country and going up against SportPesa, Betsafe knows that it must get everything right. That is why Kobia believes that Betsafe will establish an “industry-leading sports betting experience” from the start.

The executive felt confident in Betsafe’s potential, and cited the brand’s success in over 20 different countries. In Kenya, the product will be tailored to fit the expectations of Kenyan sports fans that have grown used to SMS betting in a ground-breaking move for the sports betting industry as a whole, and specifically in Kenya.

Betsafe has confirmed that it will support this feature to allow fans to feel quite at home without having to subscribe to a dated form of betting instead. Another service that is in the pipeline is a betting channel for Telegram.

The tables are about to be shaken ladies and gentlemen! We're on location @SarovaHotelsKen for our official launch. #betsafe

— Betsafe Kenya (@Betsafe_KE) December 2, 2020

The company expects to see a number of successful products launched over the next months, including jackpot offerings, Kobia explained. Betsafe has been bidding its time, the executive explained, waiting for the Kenyan Government and the Betting Control and Licensing Board to introduce fuller regulations to regulate the industry.

For its part, Betsafe intends to be compliant and uphold Kenyan gambling law in full. Betsafe is also excited about the opportunity to provide Kenyans with jobs as the company’s footprint is likely to continue growing in a country where hundreds of thousands of people are considered regular bettors.

Betsafe will start small, with 150 Kenyans employed, but this number should quickly grow over the years to over 1,000 jobs for locals. Summing up Betsafe’s vision for the future, Kobia simply had this to add: “In essence, our ambition is to deliver a trustworthy product with safe and quick pay-outs, innovative betting services, passion, and commitment to Kenyan soccer, responsible gaming, and outstanding customer support.”