Call it gambling, call it gaming, call it betting or whatever you want but a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Betting is a culture that is slowly gaining root in Kenya and has seen the people involved gain and lose money almost in equal measure. The winners want to win more so they keep betting while those who lose money nurse the hope of winning despite the many times they lose, so they keep trying. On the other hand, investors are aware of the opportunity that this field presents and this has seen the establishment of more and more betting sites in Kenya.
Although there are many betting platforms in Kenya, we lay particular emphasis on the newest betting site in Kenya, mCHEZA. This new platform, which is a product of global gaming company Intralot and Acumen Communications Limited (ACL), was launched on Friday, and it is a simple gaming platform that gives fans an opportunity to put their money on football across 277 leagues globally. It is simple to register as one is only required to send the word ‘cheza’ to 29888. It will leverage on M-PESA platform that has close to 14 million users, through which fans can load their gaming wallet via paybill number 295525, and play as many times as possible by sending a short text message to 29888. mCHEZA Chief Executive Officer Peter Karimi noted that the partnership with Intralot will invest 15 Million USD across East Africa over the next 3 years in order to raise the profile and impact of sports gaming in the region. Find out more about how to bet on Mcheza here.
The probable reasons for the rise and rise of betting platforms like Mcheza are:
Need for fast and easy money
Everyone wants to get rich, fast. Well, not everyone, almost everyone. What better way to do that than to use a little of your money to gain a whole lot more, simply by predicting the scores of games just at the comfort of your phone?
Referrals by friends
You become who you associate yourself with. The more your friends who bet talk about it, the more you are likely to be drawn into it and start betting. Friends talk about the odds of winning and what games to place a bet or ignore.
Success stories of people who hit the jackpot
Lately, there have been success stories on the mainstream media about people who hit jackpots after successfully predicting scores of different matches. This has portrayed betting as a place where one stands to win big if they follow simple steps.
As a hobby
There are people who are natural gamblers and betting is just a thing they enjoy doing.
Unemployment
The rising levels of unemployment in Kenya have prompted the affected to seek alternative means of earning. Since one can a place a bet for as little as Kshs. 20 and win big. Betting is seen as a safe way to earn despite being unemployed.
