Man wins Sh500,000 suit against a betting company

David Juma correctly predicted eight football matches and was supposed to be awarded Sh500,000. [iStockphoto]

A Nakuru court has awarded a man Sh500,000 against a betting company.

David Juma in a suit had alleged that he predicted eight football matches which he won on February 17, 2023, and was supposed to be awarded a jackpot prize of Sh500,000.

However, Shop and Deliver LTD.T/A Betika failed to award him but instead indicated that he predicted seven odds out of eight games which didn't entitle him to the jackpot.

Resident Magistrate Edward Oboge awarded Juma explaining that he had proved his case on a balance of probability.

"I agree with Juma, that the respondent breached his trust by attempting to deny him the jackpot which he won, I also refuse to believe the imputation that these facts were not within the knowledge of the respondent," the magistrate said.

Oboge noted that the evidence adduced by Juma to prove his claim among them witness statements and a bundle of documents appeared that he won eight bets, only one was in contention - the match FC Juarez won.

The court observed that during cross-examination, Ken Kagicha, the Senior Product Manager at the company, confirmed that the bet slip did not indicate the league division, Juma insisted that the slip showed the correct prediction and he was eligible to receive the Sh500,000 jackpot.

"Peter Ndichu, thhe claimant's lawyer submitted that while the respondent insisted that the bet for the contested match was for the under 20 divisions, he didn't produce any document to prove the assertion despite being the custodian of the website," the court noted.

The respondent insisted the best results prediction by the claimant was for the under 20 divisions where FC Juarez won rather than a draw which Juma had predicted.

The magistrate indicated that after he researched to find the facts, the said teams played on February 17 where FC Juarez won while the senior teams played on February 18.

"Upon successful fact mission, I have found that the match between Publa and Cruz Azul was played on February 18 as correctly predicted with FC Juarez and Leon drawing in the Mexican division, therefore refuse the invitation by the respondent that all the matches staked were played on February 17," the magistrate said.

The betting firm will pay the cost of the claim and interest from the date the jackpot was to be paid.