24-year-old gambler finally wins 20 million after 4 years of trying

Evalyne Karaba who won Sh20 million Betin Jackpot. [David Njaaga, Standard]

Evalyne Karaba was feeling quite sleepy on that day, but an urge to place another bet gripped her. The 24-year-old office assistant from Ruiru took out her smartphone and randomly tapped on the teams she guessed would win the upcoming matches in the jackpot list.

“Pure guess work,” said Karaba, the new Betin millionaire after receiving a cheque of Sh20.6 million at a hotel in Nairobi.

Clad in a turquoise-green dress, red high-heeled shoes and an analogue wristwatch with a red leather strap, Karaba could not hide her joy.

A smile played on her lips as she sat, sandwiched between two officials of Betin Company. Her eyes told a story; the joy of climbing up the economic ladder with just a tap.

“I don’t know what I feel. I can’t explain,” she said as she struggled with gestures to express herself. Karaba, who confessed she knows nothing about football, said she staked Sh399 and made accurate predictions for the 13 jackpot matches. When she received a confirmation call, she could not believe it.

Karaba warned other gamblers against taking unnecessary risks, saying that betting should just be a “side hustle”.

“Take a risk you can afford. Betting with fees for example is being irresponsible,” she advised.

Betin Regional Director Raxon Kinyua said Karaba will get financial advice.