SportPesa says it does not have under-age bettors

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"We have had cases of children committing suicide after losing bets," he said. "What is lacking is we need to have some counseling not just for the physical but for the mindset, for people who are addicted to gambling." Mwenda noted that some youths had paid the ultimate price as underage gambling becomes a growing concern in Kenya because of mobile money technology and easy access to the internet. In order to contain the betting menace in the country, the government last week ordered mobile telephony operators, Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom to close mobile money and SMS short-codes. According to figures provided by Safaricom and betting companies, there are about 12 million active betting accounts, most of which are now suspended leaving their users in limbo. The closure of the betting accounts will impact heavily on millions of Kenyans who have made betting an occupation. SportPesa has said no winnings are paid to anyone who is found to have flouted conditions which include the age limit. The increase in remote and mobile gambling along with gambling adverts targeting children are being blamed for increasing gambling addiction amongst children. Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) reminds betting firms that they must have effective policies and procedures in place to prevent young people from gambling.Do not miss out on the latest news. Join the Standard Digital Telegram channel HERE.