Bettors in Kenya have recorded a legal win as a court stepped in to help a punter who had unfairly lost a bet. The court sitting in Nakuru awarded David Juma Ksh. 500,000 in a suit against popular betting firm Betika. Juma alleged that the firm declined to pay out his jackpot win by omitting one match that his bet won.
He claimed that he wagered Ksh. 10 on February 17, 2023, and won eight matches. However, Betika claimed he only won seven of those. Nakuru magistrate Edward Oboge ruled that Juma had proved that he predicted the correct outcome (draw) in the match between FC Juarez and Leon. The judge said that Betika betrayed Juma’s trust by trying to feign ignorance that the said match was part of his stake. Juma proved his case using witness statements and documents from the bet slip.
During the case, Betika senior product manager Ken Kagicha argued that the slip did not indicate the league division. Therefore, he said, the match that Juma predicted was the U-20 tie between the two sides, a Juarez win. Juma’s prediction, thus was incorrect hence the nullity of the jackpot. However, the court established that it was indeed the senior teams that Juma wagered on. This is despite their match being played on February 18, a day after the juniors’ match. A match on the same betslip – Puebla and Cruz Azul, was also played on the 18th.
A Legal Win for Bettors
The ruling is a huge win for bettors in Kenya who have complained of ‘cat and mouse games’ from betting providers. Betika has come under particular accusation. Twitter users took to the platform after the ruling to express various unfair practices suffered under the provider.
Some mispractices highlighted include ‘nulling’ some odds, effectively lowering the total possible win without changing the stake. Another one is the collusion with dubious tipsters to sell ‘sure bets.’ These are odds that are said to be from fixed matches. Punters stake high on such bets, only to be left high and dry. Changing of divisions (e.g. betting on a senior but the company changes it to a U-20s) was also highlighted.
This case, once again, underlines the importance of betting in licensed companies. The law protects you from underhand tactics and possible huge losses. It is pleasant to see such laws taking root in Kenya. Our betting guide sheds more light on this and other safe betting practices- check it out.
