The Most Popular Sports to Bet on in Kenya
Sylvia Szekely: Nyali Beach, Mombasa, Kenya
You’re missing out on a lot if you’re from Kenya and still don’t have a betting account! Well, not saying that you must bet in the country. We’re just saying if you’re interested, there are plenty of options.
Johnny Holland is always about safeguarding our readers as well as providing them with the best means of entertainment possible. To make that happen for bettors, we’ve invited Tim Harrison, the betting expert from BetZillion.
This piece is all about your betting options in Kenya. Tim will break down the most popular sports and why they’re suitable for betting. Not only that, but he also has the best betting companies in Kenya that you can sign up for!
Tim Harrison Goes Deep on Legality of Betting in Kenya
Of course, none of Tim Harrison’s guides can start without shedding light on the legality of the matter. If you’re a potential punter in Kenya and you’re not sure whether you can legally bet or not, this section is for you.
Tim assures all of you that gambling is legal in Kenya. It has been this way since 1966, when the Betting, Lotteries, and Gaming Act was passed. It’s still the staple of gambling legislation in the country.
Since the 1960s, a lot has changed in the world, especially on the technology front. We now have the internet, something that changed our lives forever. Like everything else, the gambling industry also has a strong presence on the internet.
To keep the laws relevant to this advancement, the Kenyan government modernized the laws in 2011 and 2019. As of now, even online gambling is entirely legal and regulated! There’s no room to put Kenya in the “de facto illegal” category simply because the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) is tasked with checking up on the paradigm!
Any time you doubt the legality of any brand, you can visit the BCLB website. One of the tabs on that website contains the list of all licensed betting sites, along with license numbers.
Best Sports to Bet on in Kenya: Tim Harrison’s Top Picks
Now that we’ve moved the legality aspect of online betting out of the way, we can focus on the actual discussion topic. The best sports you can bet on in Kenya. You may already be familiar with them, but you may not know what goes on behind the betting scene.
Football
Like the rest of Africa, Kenyan people are huge football fans. So much so that it’s considered the most popular sport in the country. In fact, the Kenyan national football team is pretty well-respected on the international scene.
Betting on football has always been one of the biggest attractions of the online betting industry. You get more events to bet on than any other sports. At any time during the year, you can find thousands of active markets under the “football” or “soccer” tab at any recommended betting sites.
When it comes to local punters, they’re most excited about
- Kenyan Premier League,
- FKF Division One,
- Kenyan National Super League,
- Kenyan County Champions League,
- etc. tournaments.
Although it’s unlikely that you’ll find these events at international sportsbooks, they’re common findings across local brands like SportPesa or Betika.
Basketball
Basketball is yet another global sensation. There’s no place on earth where you can’t find basketball fans. Sure, the Americans may have dominance when it comes to the actual sports. But the Kenyans are just as competitive in the betting scene.
KBF Premier League is the biggest and high-voltage tournament to bet on if you’re looking into local contests. As for international options, NBA, WNBA, Liga ACB, Basketbol Super Ligi (Turkey), NBL, etc., are commonly offered across Kenyan betting sites.
One thing we like about basketball betting is the availability of markets. It’s not even close to football in any way, but it still offers a lot of options to prospective bettors.
Volleyball
Volleyball as a sport is quite popular on an individual level. However, it often doesn’t get enough traction in the iGaming industry. We can say that because Tim assures us there’s a spike in the number of volleyball fans in the country! Kenyan bettors seem to be trying to change the practice.
Regarding international tournaments, The World Grand Championships Cup is the biggest one you can bet on. Also, it’s a trendy offering across all online bookmakers during the Olympic season.
If we have to name a few markets you can utilize when betting on this sport in Kenya, we can think of total sets, handicaps, and moneylines.
Netball
Predominantly played by women, Netball is yet another sport that doesn’t get enough appreciation. As it happens, this is extremely popular in Kenya, both for playing and betting. The sad part is that very few online betting sites offer odds for Netball betting. The majority of these sites are locally licensed and operated.
Among international betting sites, names like Paddy Power, Tab, William Hill, and Betfair have become the top for Netball betting. Some top-notch tournaments you can look for include the Netball World Cup, Commonwealth Games, Netball Nations Cup, and Netball Singapore Nations Cup.
Check more here, please:
Characteristics of a Good Online Betting Site
Tim Harrison strongly believes that finding the right betting site is more important than focusing on what sport you’re betting on. A mediocre betting site will ruin your experience no matter what sports you choose in Kenya. So, he decided to share the characteristics of good betting sites.
- Legitimacy: A safe betting site will most likely be a good experience for you. The legality of an online bookmaker starts with the license. In Kenya, all operating bookmakers must obtain a license from BCLB. Otherwise, it’s outright illegal!
- Compatibility: Many punters don’t emphasize the brand’s compatibility enough. If the website is choppy or takes too long to load, it’s bound to impact your overall experience. At the same time, having good mobile support is crucial. It’s all that better if you find a sportsbook that offers downloadable mobile apps.
- Odds: Odds are the fundamentals of sports betting. It’s the odds that you bet on, not the sports. So, how do you find the best odds in Kenya? Well, you compare them at multiple sites. It’s simply because looking at odds from a single brand isn’t going to give you any perspective. It’s only possible when you have a reference point.
- Wide Array of Payments: The more payment methods an online betting site offers, the more people can participate. And the more people participate, the more real user reviews you can find online. Hence, you should always check the payment methods library to see if you can get started with real money betting right away.
- Customer Support: Last but not least, Tim strongly suggests not forgetting about customer support. Thankfully, the majority of Kenyan betting sites have excellent support. They often offer the punters 24/7 telephone lines, live chat, and email.
