Category Archives: Gambling

By Njiraini Muchira

No industry has captured the imagination of the Kenyan economy in the past three years like betting. Concerned about its runaway growth, the government imposed higher taxes but the proliferation of gaming outlets across the country continued.

The government, through the Kenya Revenue Authority, then turned to gaming equipment: No more importation unless authorised by the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB).

"Any further importation of such gaming devices must have express clearance from the Ministry of Interior and Co-ordination of National Government," said a KRA statement.

BCLB falls under the Ministry of Interior.

BCLB chairman Anthony Kimani Kung'u told The EastAfrican that the majority of the gaming machines entering Kenya do not meet international standards.

"Restricting importation is part of our fight against illegal machines, mostly from China," he said.

He added that the move is to ensure that unscrupulous businessmen do not take advantage of unsuspecting Kenyans.

There has been a proliferation of gaming equipment in estates and other social places.

Backstreet gambling dens

According to the chairman of the Association of Gaming Operators of Kenya, Ronald Karauri, the increase in the machines has tarnished the image of the betting and gaming industry.

"As an association, we have been telling BCLB to crackdown on these machines because they are encouraging irresponsible gaming," he said.

Mr Karauri, who is also the chief executive of sports betting firm SportPesa, added that lack of a modern and progressive law to regulate the industry is fuelling the growth of backstreet gambling dens.

Currently, the industry operates under the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act, which stakeholders contend is outdated owing to the evolution of the industry particularly in the use of mobile and online platforms for betting.

Kenyan legislator Jakoyo Midiwo drafted the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming (Amendment) Bill, 2016, to provide a legal framework for regulating and controlling gambling activities.

The Bill also seeks to promote the development of a responsible industry, protect young and excluded persons from the negative effects of gambling and prevent gambling from being a source of crime and from being used for money laundering.

The Bill has however met with opposition from BCLB and industry players on the basis that it does not incorporate the views of stakeholders, and that it is intended to end gambling.

"While we agree the industry needs a modern law, the Bill is not sincere in its object of regulating but will only kill the industry," said Mr Karauri.

Kenya currently has more than 30 licensed betting firms and casinos, although only a few are in operation.

A recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers shows that the yearly turnover of the sports betting industry in Kenya is worth $20 million, and will reach $50 million in 2020 as demand grows.

The formal Kenyan betting industry, which paid $28.3 million in taxes in 2015, is ranked third in Africa after South Africa and Nigeria.

In the 2016/17 Finance Bill, the government increased taxes on betting, lotteries and gaming after introducing a betting tax charged at a rate of 7.5 per cent of the gaming revenue, lottery tax chargeable at a rate of five per cent and a gaming tax chargeable at a rate of 12 per cent of the gaming revenue.

Kenya currently has more than 30 licensed betting firms and casinos, although only a few are in operation.

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Kenya: Gambling in Kenya Gets Out of Hand - AllAfrica.com

LAS VEGAS may be synonymous with gambling, but the industrys biggest expo is actually held in London, and wraps up today. Exhibitors in over 3,000 stands advertise the latest products designed to part punters from their cash, ranging from gaming apps to slot machines and virtual-reality games. As in other businesses, firms that were quick to embrace new technology have reaped rewards: online gaming is the industrys fastest-growing sector, and accounted for 11% of the $385bn of gambling profits posted in 2016. But unlike companies that sell less controversial services, courting government regulators appears to be just as important as luring bettors for the bottom line.

To the general public, Australia hardly leaps to mind as a gambling hotbed. Yet industry insiders know it is far and away their most lucrative market: according to H2 Gambling Capital (H2G), a consultancy, betting losses per resident adult there amounted to $990 last year. That is 40% higher than Singapore, the runner-up, and around double the average in other Western countries. The most popular form of gaming in Australia is on ubiquitous electronic poker machines, or pokies, which are more prevalent there than anywhere else. Although the devices are legal in many other markets, bet sizes are usually capped at modest levels. By contrast, in Australia, which began to deregulate the industry in the 1980s, punters can lose as much as $1,150 an hour.

Despite Australias profitability, the high level of existing gambling penetration and relatively small population of 23m make it a relatively mature market without much room for expansion. The biggest prize by far is the United States, where bettors total losses reached $117bn last year. The untapped potential is enormous: Americans wagered $150bn illegally on sports alone last year, by one estimate. However, the countrys Puritan tendencies have kept the industrys growth in check, and spending per person has remained static for a decade. Online gaming, which accounts for a third of spending in some countries, is legal in just three states after a federal clampdown in 2011, while sports betting is fully legal in just one. As a result, Ireland and Finland, which have opened up online markets, recently overtook America in spending per person. Singapore also keeps a tight lid on the range of legal betting options, and has seen industry revenues fall off as a result.

A different type of regulation has curbed gaming in China. Just three years ago, H2G expected China (including Macau and Hong Kong) to surpass America as the worlds biggest market in 2020. But in 2013 the government announced a crackdown on corruption, which prevented Chinese government officials from entertaining in the casinos of Macau. The industrys profits in China promptly fell by 20%, and have barely recovered. That precipitous decline caused overall global winnings to drop in 2015the first dip since 2003, when H2Gs data begin.

In contrast, gaming firms may be set to hit the jackpot in Japan. Although the country is still the worlds third-largest gambling market, annual revenues have been declining steadily since 2003 amid tight regulation. Ingenious firms have come up with work-arounds to remain within the law: pachinko, a popular game akin to pinball, avoids being classified as gambling by giving special prizes, which can be traded for cash at kiosks separate from the pachinko parlours. Such subterfuge may no longer be necessary, thanks to a law passed in December that will permit casinos for the first time. Foreign operators are expected to line up to build them. H2G estimates that they could swell winnings by 50% in the first year of opening. That is good news for the industry, if not for Japanese punters wallets.

Daily chart: Chinas roads and workplaces seem to be getting less lethal

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The world's biggest gamblers - The Economist (blog)

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Gov. Eddie Calvo has allowed casino operations at the carnival grounds on a regular basis while gambling is illegal.

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Pacific Daily News 5:12 p.m. ChT Feb. 11, 2017

Sunday cartoon for 02/12(Photo: Roland Miranda/For PDN)

While the voters of Guam have repeatedly rejected attempts to legalize gambling, Gov. Eddie Calvo has allowed casino operations at the carnival grounds on a regular basis.

The casino was supposed to close at the end of the Guam Island Fair Liberation Day Carnival in August, but the gambling operations Texas HoldEm, roulette, blackjack, baccarat and other games were extended. Then, mayors started using the casino for their village fiestas on weekends, with approval from Calvo. Jose Cruz, president of Linala Sin Casino, recently wrote a letter to Attorney General Elizabeth Barrett-Anderson and Rev and Tax Director John Camacho, asking them to investigate the ongoing use of the Tiyan carnival fairgrounds for fiesta-related casino events on weekends.

The Mayors Council or GovGuam insists on continuing this activity in spite of numerous occasions where the people of Guam have resoundingly rejected casino gambling on our island, Cruz wrote.

Sinajana Mayor Robert Hofmann said its because many villages dont have the facilities to offer gambling during their fiestas.

Every district is different in size and capabilities, some mayors have it there some mayors dont, Hofmann said.

He also said the proceeds from the casino go toward programs in the villages. He said Sinajana has raised about $2,500 from gambling. But there is a lack of accountability with casino operations. How much money did the casino make during the carnival, and how much of that went to the mayors and villages? How much does the casino pull in during fiestas, and how much of that goes to community programs? Mayors need to provide this information in an open and transparent manner on a regular basis. And the Calvo administration needs to re-evaluate whether the casino in Tiyan should continue to be used for gambling on a regular basis.

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OUR VIEW: Transparency needed in gambling operations - Pacific Daily News

Rob Manfred has only been Major League Baseball's commissioner for two years, but he's kept himself extremely busy in that time. Whether or not he's actually made major changes, he's at least entertained the thought time and time again during his tenure. He's discussed everything from expansion to banning shifts. Just in the last week, there have been rumors of a changed strike zone and new extra-inning rules. Now, he's thinking of changing the league's stance on one of its most controversial issues over its long history.

To say MLB and gambling have a history would be the understatement of all understatements. Two of the biggest scandals in league history involved betting. Obviously, I speak of the Black Sox scandal in 1919 and everything that's surrounded Pete Rose over the last few decades. Clearly, changing the league's stance on gambling won't change its stance on players taking part, but it's still jarring to see the league even consider getting close to that world.

On the other hand, it makes sense in today's world. Gambling has become more and more prominent in the sports world, particularly over the last few years as daily fantasy has blurred the definition. The NFL is the most popular league in the country, and gambling was a huge part of its rise to the top. The NBA, arguably the second-biggest league in the U.S., has already acknowledged the benefits of gambling. We've heard Manfred talk about plenty of big changes to baseball, but this could be among the most monumental.

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Rob Manfred may change MLB's stance on gambling - SB Nation

MANILA, Philippines Following the war against illegal drugs, President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered law enforcement and government agencies to curb illegal gambling.

The president issued Executive Order (EO) 13 which directs the Philippine National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement agencies to intensify the fight against illegal gambling.

Concerned agencies such as the Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Information and Communications Technology were also ordered to coordinate with law enforcement agencies.

RELATED:Next war: Illegal gambling

"The same law enforcement agencies are further directed to coordinate and promptly act on requests of gambling regulatory authorities to investigate and put a stop to illegal gambling activities in their respective jurisdictions," the order read.

The president noted that the confusion in the jurisdiction and scope of authority of gambling regulators contributes to the proliferation of illegal gambling and gaming.

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The EO defined illegal gambling as a manner of directly or indirectly taking part in a game scheme wherein wagers consisting of money or articles of value at stake which is not authorized or licensed by the government.

The EO also clarified that online gambling operators are prohibited from allowing persons physically located outside the country to place bets or participate in games through an online portal.

The Office of the President will exercise oversight in the implementation of the intensified fight against illegal gambling.

"Whereas, the State condemns the existence of illegal gambling activities as a widespread social menace and source of corruption, as it has become an influential factor in an individual's disregard for the value of dignified work, perseverance and thrift," the order read.

The president signed EO 13 on February 2 through Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

RELATED: Duterte orders closure of all online gaming firms

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Duterte orders war on illegal gambling - Philippine Star

Gamblers caught during the raid on an open-air gambling den at a rubber plantation in Songkhla's Hat Yai district on Thursday night are taken by police pickup to Hat Yai police station on Thursday night. The shade net screen concealing the casino is in the background. (Photo by Assawin Pakkawan)

SONGKHLA - Sixteen gamblers were arrested and about 400,000 baht seized during a raid on a rubber plantation in Hat Yai which was operating as an open-air casino on Thursday night.

A team of soldiers, police and local officials swooped on the rubber plantation at Soi Prasarnmit in tambon Khuan Lang around 9pmon Thursday.

A large shade net had been erected around the plantation to screen it, with many cars and motorcycles parked inside.

As the authorities arrived gamblers started running away in panic, but 16 were caught - four men and 12 women. Others made good their escape - but left their transport behind.

Gambling gear, about 400,000 baht cash, 20 cars and pickup trucks and around 40 motorcycles were seized.

The gamblers were handed over to Hat Yai police station for legal action, a member of the combined team said.

It was the gambling den's opening night, the officer said.

An investigation found it was run by the same person whose gambling den in Hat Yai was raided and shut down in early January.

Thursday night's raid was led by Col Jatuporn Kalampasut, chief of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4 intelligence office.

Around 60 vehicles - cars, pickup trucks and motorcycles - found parked at the open-air gambling den concealed in a rubber plantion that was raided in Hat Yai district on Thursday night. Sixteen gamblers were caught. Others made good their escape, but left their transport behind. (Photo by Assawin Pakkawan)

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Gamblers caught in Hat Yai open-air casino bust - Bangkok Post

The ongoing battle over appropriate Indian gambling is once again coming to a head in the Idaho Legislature, with both sides preparing to rip open old wounds.

Rep. Tom Loertscher, a Republican from Iona, introduced legislation Wednesday that would ban lucrative video gambling terminals inside the tribes' casinos. The proposal was tepidly accepted by the House State Affairs Committee, with some lawmakers raising concerns about the ripple effects of the bill.

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"We've been bothered by several gambling issues over the last few years," said Loertscher, chairman of the House panel. "This is a major policy thing that we need to address."

The move comes two years after lawmakers banned the use of so-called historical horse racing due to fears that the electronic betting machines resembled slot machines. The repeal effort generated outrage from the horse racing industry. It claimed the tribes were unfairly trying to squelch competition because they have a monopoly on video gambling in Idaho.

Yet the fight over Indian gambling has been a sore subject since 1988 when the Idaho Lottery was established.

Under federal Indian gambling law, Idaho tribes can only operate their own bingo and lottery operations as long as the state has already authorized that form of gambling. This has created lingering tension between the state and tribes over what types of gambling devices are legal.

According to the tribes, they operate what the state allows: A video form of the state lottery.

However, prolonged disagreement led the tribe to successfully push a 2002 ballot initiative amending Idaho's law to say as long as the tribe's machines do not have a lever or dispense coins only cash out tickets then the machines could not be defined as a slot machines and are not a simulation of casino gambling.

Then in 2006, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the tribes' ability to offer video gambling devices after the state sued. The court's decision also influenced a 2009 ruling where the Idaho Supreme Court declared Idaho could no longer sue regarding the constitutionality of the tribes' machines.

Loertscher's bill would remove a key section of the law amended in 2002 so that even if the tribe's machines do not have a lever or dispense coins, they would still be banned from possessing slot machines. It's a subtle difference, but one that would could potentially upend the entire system.

"This issue has been addressed in the judicial branch and now they want to get the Legislature involved," said House Assistant Majority Leader Brent Crane, R-Nampa, who said he only voted to introduce the proposal to learn more about the issue. "I'm not convinced that's going to happen."

Other lawmakers contend that the Idaho Constitution outlaws casino-style gambling but claim tribes are violating that ban due to a loophole in the law.

"We simply can't have any statute that would attempt to override the constitution," said Rep. Steven Harris, R-Meridian, who has supported other efforts to limit gambling in Idaho this year.

For the tribes, the issue comes down to protecting their sovereignty.

"This is highly unnecessary," said Rep. Paulette Jordan, D-Plummer, a member of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, who voted against introducing Loertscher's bill. "I don't believe this bill will make it out of committee and I would urge the chairman to reread our laws."

A full hearing for the bill has not been scheduled.

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Idaho House Panel Introduces Bill Limiting Indian Gambling | Boise ... - Boise State Public Radio

PHOTO | FILE By AGEWA MAGUT

Kenyan youth spend more than half (55 per cent) of their income on personal care and the least amount on travel and entertainment.

A study conducted in January by digital research firm Geopoll on people aged 18 to 35 revealed that the majority spend a huge amount of their earnings on items that boost self-image.

The study says that youth invest 26 per cent of their earnings, six per cent on entertainment and five per cent on gambling.

Other items accounted for seven per cent of the total income.

AFRICAN MILLENNIALS

The January survey is part of a series on African millennials in which GeoPoll seeks to understand the habits of the continents youth.

The survey was done in Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, South Africa in addition to Kenya.

About 51 per cent of youth who took part in the survey are employed, with 32 per cent relying on the support of parents or guardian.

When it comes to savings, young Africans invest the most on furthering their education, said the study.

Advancing in education is one of the most important pursuits for millennials, with many saying that they save up to 10 per cent of their monthly earnings towards it. This is in comparison to buying a car, a house or travelling, says the report.

Young Kenyans are among the highest savers towards this cause, squirrelling away about 34 per cent of their salaries to get better educated.

The survey says that the data on expenditure was an indicator of lack of knowledge on finance management and proper planning.

Many, the researchers says, are striving towards financial independence, prosperity and believe in their own ability to chart their own course with education.

GAMBLING

Gambling also eats up significant chunk of their income.

Gambling is becoming popular among male African millennials in sub-Saharan Africa due to their high affinity to sports and the proliferation of local sports betting players. This is still a very nascent industry, says the report.

Kenyas mobile-based sports betting industry has recorded phenomenal growth aided by the ease of placing bets online or through SMS and paying via mobile money platforms such as M-Pesa and Airtel Money.

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Kenyan youth splashing cash on looks, gambling Geopoll study - Nairobi News (satire) (press release) (blog)

Rochester, N.Y.

(WHAM) - Questions about the connection between a missing Spencerport teen and the man arrested as part of an illegal gambling investigation in Rochester, have been put to rest.

Lead investigators assigned to the case of missing teen Joshua Redfield said there is no truth to these claims he is connected to Dan Elliot. Instead they say it's confusion about another family member's ties.

Elliot, also known as Miami Dan, was arrested last month during a raid at an alleged illegal gambling operation in the city.

Two sources close to this investigation said Redfield, missing since December 7, has a step brother serving jail time for breaking into and trying to burn down the alleged illegal gambling joint on West Ridge Road.

Ogden Police said, while they have received tips about allegations Redfield is connected to the illegal gambling joint, there is no truth behind the rumors.

Elliot was in court Thursday morning where his hearing was waived to a grand jury.

He is out on bail, accused of having two semi-automatic pistols, both loaded and drugs in his possession. He has not been charged for illegally gambling, but his lawyer, Vincent Merante said it is not out of the question.

"I haven't heard anything from the U.S. Attorney's Office; they have the prerogative to move forward with their own charges, but let's hope not," Merante told 13WHAM News. "I'm here to say and make it perfectly clear, my client has nothing to do with the disappearance of Joshua Redfield."

Ogden Police also made their message clear - that Redfield is not linked to the illegal gambling operation.

"The FBI came to us an offered any resources we might need," Chief Mears said. "We don't have any indication of foul play, but we always have to leave that open as a possibility."

Mears said they do not have any leads at the time and they have done everything in their power to track down the information they can. Two investigators are assigned full time to the disappearance of Joshua Redfield.

Police said Redfield did make some indication to friends that he would leave home. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 423-9300.

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No truth to alleged link between missing Spencerport teen, illegal gambling - 13WHAM-TV

The major professional sports leagues have begun to embrace or, at least, take steps toward embracing the concept of legalized sports gambling. The NFLs Oakland Raiders may possibly move to Las Vegas. The NHL has already established the first major pro sports franchise in the city. And NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has come out in favor of sports betting.

And now, Major League Baseball appears to be softening its stance against legalized wagering. At a forum hosted by Yahoo! Finance on Wednesday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred acknowledged that sports betting happens, and questioned whether his sports opposition to the practice was an outdated position.

We are reexamining our stance on gambling, Manfred said. Its a conversation thats ongoing with the owners.

Manfred seemed to be making much of the same argument that Silver did in his New York Times op-ed, saying that federal regulation could prove beneficial to the sport.

I think the question for sports is really, Are we better off in a world where we have a nice, strong, uniform, federal regulation of gambling that protects the integrity of sports, provides sports with the tools to ensure that there is integrity in the competition Or are we better off closing our eyes to that and letting it go on as illegal gambling? And thats a debatable point.

Watch above, via Yahoo! Finance.

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MLB Commish Opens Door to Legalized Gambling: 'We Are Reexamining Our Stance' - Mediaite