The Communications Authority of Kenya Director General Ezra Chiloba has ordered mobile money platforms to suspend pay bill numbers, USSD codes and short codes belonging to companies that are yet to renew their betting licences.
A press release from the authority is asking Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom to suspend ICT platforms and services of gaming entities whose Betting Control and Licencing Board (BCLB) licenses for this year are yet to be renewed.
“The MNOs are therefore required to discontinue, with immediate effect, the issuance of licenced ICT platforms and services including USSD, Short codes and Pay Bill numbers to betting, lotteries, and gaming entities whose BCLB licences for the financial year 2022-23 have not been renewed,” says Chiloba.
Further mobile network operators are also required to provide returns to CA and the BCLB showing USSDs, short codes and pay bill numbers of different betting platforms on a monthly basis.
Currently, the BCLB is renewing licences for betting, lotteries and gaming companies.
The order will affect Sportpesa, among 97 other firm who are yet to renew their operating licences with the BCLB. As of Friday, last week, only Betika, Betafrique, and Spotika had obtained licences to operate in this financial year.
Last year, Kenya had 100 licenced betting firms.
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