Kenya’s telecommunications giant Safaricom PLC has been instructed to immediately suspend all associated pay bill numbers for dozens of illegal betting websites operating in Kenya’s internet domain, according to official documents released yesterday.

The directive comes from the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB), which has identified over 80 unauthorized betting platforms it claims are exploiting users through fraudulent schemes. The board’s investigation revealed these sites have been accepting deposits via pay bill numbers or STK push services, only to withhold payouts from bettors.

“The Board has determined that necessary measures must be taken against the listed websites, including their immediate shutdown,” wrote P.K. Mbugi, Director of the BCLB, in a letter addressed to Mr. David Mugonyi, Director General of the Communication Authority of Kenya.

The letter, dated April 29, 2025, specifically instructs Safaricom PLC Limited to “suspend all associated Pay Bill numbers with immediate effect.” This implicates Kenya’s largest mobile network operator in the payment infrastructure supporting these allegedly fraudulent betting operations.

Among the unauthorized platforms listed are numerous “crash” betting sites with names like Cheza crash, Skai crash, and Simple crash, along with several variants of gaming sites using the “Aviator” brand. The platforms collectively use dozens of Safaricom pay bill numbers, some processing transactions worth millions of Kenyan shillings.

In a parallel press statement from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), authorities expressed “deep concern” over “a worrying surge in betting activities” that particularly affect Kenya’s youth.

“The accessibility of mobile payment platforms and online lending has aggravated this issue by allowing seamless transactions between betting operators and users,” the DCI statement noted, indirectly referencing Safaricom’s M-Pesa service, which dominates Kenya’s mobile money market.

The crackdown comes amid heightened scrutiny of Kenya’s gambling industry, with authorities pointing to aggressive advertising that “saturated the media landscape” and targeted vulnerable populations. The DCI has vowed to take “stern action against operators who violate these regulations, including those involved in illegal betting syndicates.”

Neither Safaricom nor its legal team have publicly responded to the directive as of press time. However, the BCLB letter indicates the company’s Senior Legal Counsel, Mr. Daniel Ndaba, has been copied on the shutdown order.

Kenya has struggled to regulate its booming betting industry in recent years, with public health officials raising alarms about gambling addiction among young people. This latest intervention represents one of the most significant regulatory actions against unauthorized betting platforms and their payment processors to date.