Kenya’s vibrant sports betting industry has admitted a new player into the game. Dafabet International sports betting platform is now available in Kenya and its retail and regional operations director Louis Watts is upbeat about its performance. He said this is part of the company’s global expansion.
“We are looking to expand throughout the African continent and our first initiative was to establish a major presence in Kenya,” said Mr Watts. “This market is mature and respected and is sport betting savvy, and continues to be a growing sports betting market. It will give us the stable base from which to grow.”
Dafabet offers Kenyans the opportunity to place bets on over 30 international sports through SMS, mobile and desktop. Dafabet’s offering will entail continuous live streaming of sports including daily live UK Greyhound racing, as well as a choice of the best virtual sports currently on offer.
There will also be ‘cash-out’ which allows players to cash-out their bet anytime; and ‘in-play betting’ allowing players to bet during the game right up to the last moment made possible by a state-of-the-art ‘match-tracker’ feature.
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The company has offices in the UK and Malta, Philippines, and plans to make Kenya its African headquarters. It enters a market with a number of established players, including SportPesa, Betin, M-Cheza, Betway and Elite Bet among others. Also there has been pressure on betting companies for more taxation.
“What is important to note is that Dafabet in Kenya is not a distant, offshore entity operating into the market. From Day 1 Dafabet Kenya will be local; its product offering will be tailored to the needs of Kenyan customers and most importantly the business will be run, operated and expanded and developed by local Kenyan staff,” added Mr Watts.
Dafabet is one of the top sports betting companies globally and is known for its high-profile sponsorships in football and snooker among other sports. Currently, Dafabet sponsors Sunderland and Burnley in the English Premier League, Blackburn Rovers in the English Championship and Celtic in the Scottish Premiership. It also International partner of the Welsh International football side and title sponsors of the Welsh Premier League.
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In Snooker, Dafabet has been the title sponsor of ‘The Masters’, the leading invitational event of the sport and one leg of the ‘Triple Crown’ since 2014 and is tied to the tournament until 2020.
Besides regularly being seen on some of the world’s best boxers’ silks such as Anthony Joshua, Kell Brook and Tony Bellew, Dafabet boasts sporting ambassadors such as ex-Liverpool, Real Madrid and England’s Steve McManaman and snooker legend Jimmy White.
“Dafabet Kenya is a local company so you can expect us to become quickly involved with sport in Kenya: it’s a key part of our marketing strategy but also key to meeting our responsibility to giving back to the community,” said Mr Watts.
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