The future of 19 betting companies in Kenya is hanging in the balance after Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i failed to renew their licenses.
Without identifying the individual companies, the Betting and Licencing Control Board failed to make the renewal because the firms had not remitted all taxes they owed the state.
In a statement sent to newsrooms on Monday, the board also did not renew licenses to 13 casinos and six lotteries.
The firms' future, therefore, depends on “security vetting on both their operations and directors”.
On June 29, Matiang'i hinted that many betting firms' licences in the country were on the line after failing to comply with the new tax laws.
Speaking in Chache North, Kisii County at the time, the no-nonsense CS condemned betting for frustrating youth who, after making losses in that industry, resorted to committing suicide.
He blamed the firms, which have sprouted from all corners, for turning the country into a gambling nation stating that the government was not going to condone it.
“We cannot be a gambling nation. We must live an honest life. Many youths end up frustrated when they fail in gambling and end up committing suicide.
“They must all comply with the law,” regretted the CS as quoted by Daily Nation.
Earlier, proprietors within the multi-billion industry were ordered to remit their taxes to the State by July 1.
The government has embarked on a plan to heavily regulate the sector which is destroying the country's moral fabric if left uncontrolled.
