News
Betsafe Sponsors Two Kenyan Football Teams for Three Seasons
Not many people can say that they have looked towards Kenya for betting opportunities, although now could be the time for that to change. You see, two Kenyan football teams have had their sponsorship taken over by the Betsafe online sportsbook.
It was on Wednesday, June 17 that Betsafe made the announcement of its new sponsorship deals with Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards, both of which play in the Kenyan Premier League. Operating as an offshoot of the Betsson AB brand, Betsafe’s unison with the two football teams will run for three seasons, beginning with the 2020-21 campaign ahead.
As part of those deals, the Betsafe logo will appear on the kits of both teams, and together, they are worth a combined 95 million Kenyan shillings (£722,000) per season. The lion’s share of that will go to the reigning league champions – Gor Mahia. But how did such a deal come about? Well, it all took place under Betsafe’s recently launched Kenyan offshoot – Bet High Kenya.
The country’s local media spoke with Tom Bwana, who operates as the Public Relations and Partner Manager for Bet High. He said that Betsafe would be launching its own operations in Kenya soon, and that the top priority for Bet High is Kenyan football. There is a number of top betting sites in Kenya that are already active, as the industry is growing considerably there. So, while seeking one out isn’t such a problem, once Betsafe’s Kenyan offshoot becomes fully active, there will be another alternative for bettors to utilise.
“Long-Term Financial Support” Celebrated
Both of the Kenyan football teams who have secured the sponsorship deal with Betsafe took it upon themselves to celebrate the fact that everything had become official. Chairman of Gor Mahia, Ambrose Rachier said that he was happy to see his club now has “long-term financial support from a strong and safe partner”, while the Chairman of AFC Leopards, Dan Shikanda spoke of the security that the unison brings to the team.
It was the local betting operator SportPesa that sponsored both football clubs prior to Betsafe taking over. However, the Kenyan-Bulgarian brand (which also sponsored English Premier League club Everton) closed down its business last year following a bust up with the government regarding back-tax claims. This saw all of its local sports sponsorships cancelled in August of 2019, which marked the second occasion such an event took place. The “uncertainty” of the regulatory climate was blamed for this move.
That move was what left both of the Kenyan football teams without any sort of financial life support. According to some sources, Gor Mahia hasn’t paid any of its football players for the past five months due to this, so the sponsorship deal with Betsafe will come as a welcome and almost life-saving moment for the club.
It’s a shame, as Kenya had one of the most prosperous betting markets in Africa up until the government redefined how betting licences were handed out and how its operators were taxed. SportPesa wasn’t the only brand to pull out of the market within Kenya once this occurred, as another big name in Betin closed its Kenyan operations, too.
Conferences
Industry leader Parimatch launches The Idol: Black is Back at iGB Affiliate in Barcelona
Are you an idol? Then join us as we take iGB Affiliate Barcelona by storm this January with The Idol: Black is Back, a unique series of events including amazing deals, giveaways, and our stunning Asian Euphoria party where dark luxury fuses with Asian artistry.
A new era is dawning at Parimatch and we want to celebrate it with you in style!
Once again Parimatch’s stand E20 will be the epicenter of iGB Affiliate Barcelona, an annual highlight of the iGaming industry at the iconic city’s famous Fira Gran Via.
We’re confident that Parimatch’s stand will be the talk of the conference. Here’s what you can look forward to:
- Fantastic deals: The latest updates and exclusive offers you can’t miss
- Giveaways where you’ll have the chance to win unique prizes
- Our Hall of Fame: Become part of Parimatch’s history
But wait, there’s more. As Parimatch embarks on a new era we are inviting over 500 partners and brand friends to our immersive Asian Euphoria party at a stunning location in the center of Barcelona where you will experience:
- The party headliner – world-famous DJ Steve Aoki
- The very best in performance art that Barcelona has to offer
- The world of Asian luxury merging with American pop culture
Don’t miss out! Be sure to join us to witness Parimatch set new standards at booth E20 at iGB Affiliate, Barcelona, January 20-23. And don’t stop there – join the Asian Euphoria party on January 21 and see us set a new trend for the entire industry!
iGB
iGB Affiliate Conference Program to feature 11 hours of insight, masterclasses and debate
Delegates attending next week’s iGB Affiliate Barcelona will have access to a programme of 14 business critical insight sessions delivered by a 40 strong assembly of industry thought leaders and experts in their respective fields.
The 2025 Program comprises sessions entitled: Affiliate Rundown L!VE: The 2024 Trends That Will Define 2025, Video Killed the Text-based Star: Platforms & Formats for Engaging the Next Generation, Navigating the Road Ahead, New Localisation Strategies to Secure a Slice of the Latin America and Africa Pies, Parasite SEO in iGaming: A Winning Formula to Dominate Search Engines or a Risky Gamble?, Growing Pains: Scaling Operations for Accelerating Affiliate Growth, Plugging Into a Fast Growing Vertical: Sweepstakes, Mastering PPC in iGaming Affiliate Marketing: A Data-Driven Blueprint for Paid Media Success, Market Insights: Unlocking the Next Big Opportunity in Asia and the Middle East, Crack the Code to Viral Success: The Ultimate Guide to a Million Views & Building a Robust Multi-Stream Influencer Business Model, Finding Your Next Role in a Time of Flux: The Inner Workings of Affiliate Recruiters, Masterclass: Reddit 101, Trust and Transparency: What Does a Win-Win Affiliate Data Share Look Like? and Business Without Borders: Boost Your Affiliate Game with International SEO.
The industry-leading line-up assembled by the iGB Affiliate organising team includes Michael Caselli, Non-Executive Chairman – Clarion Gaming, Corey Padveen, Partner – T2 Marketing International and Editor-at-Large, iGB Affiliate, Caleb Dykema, Co-founder & CEO – Vault Sports, Jamison Selby, CEO – Rubystone, Martin Calvert, Marketing Director – ICS-digital, Miruna Pandele, Head of Acquisition – Affiliates Bay, Jonas Warrer, CEO – Gentoo Media, Ben Cove, Chief Marketing Officer – Logifuture, Luis Portela de Carvalho, Partner – Lektou Advogados, Sasha Boerma, Commercial Director for Africa – Split The Pot, Dragan Berak, Head of SEO (AskGamblers and CasinoMeister) – Gentoo Media, Jamie Walters, CEO & Cofounder – QiH, Lee-Ann Johnstone, Founder – Affiverse, Rosi Bremec, COO – Game Lounge, Seth Schorr, CEO – Fifth Street Gaming , Simon Pilkington, Managing Director – Best Betting Media, Stephen Carter, Head of Affiliate Content – Clarion Gaming, and Alex Windsor, CMO – GameTime Digital.
Looking ahead to the first edition of iGB Affiliate to be held in Barcelona, Naomi Barton, Global Portfolio Director, iGB Events said: “I am incredibly passionate about delivering an exceptional and holistic experience on behalf of all of our customers. The Conference Program is an essential part of our pledge to facilitate outstanding business networking, deliver high-quality content, and provide thought leadership that fosters trust-based partnerships and drives growth throughout the iGaming affiliate ecosystem. The Program has been curated in consultation with our customers in order the key topics impacting their business and is being delivered by industry experts. It is a key part of the iGB Affiliate experience.”
iGB Affiliate 2025 will feature a record 250 industry-leading exhibitors and sponsors and host a vibrant community of 8000+ iGaming Affiliates and Tech Vendors.
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