❓ Quick answer: can you bet with Betway in Kenya in 2026?

No. Betway hasn’t accepted bets or deposits from Kenya since 16 May 2023, and we couldn’t find any Betway entity among Kenya’s licensed operators. Betway still operates under local licences in other African countries, including Ghana, South Africa and Tanzania, but those sites are for players in those countries only.

If you want a similar experience in Kenya, choose a bookmaker licensed in Kenya. Our top alternatives for October 2026 are below.

See Betway alternatives in Kenya

🗓️ Betway in Kenya: a timeline

Betway was one of the best-known international betting brands in Kenya, and its story there tracks the country’s long-running battles over betting tax.

💸 Why did Betway leave Kenya?

Betway’s own exit notice in May 2023 didn’t give a reason, and we haven’t found an official explanation. What the public record does show is a long-running conflict over tax.

In 2019, Betway was one of 27 bookmakers caught up when Kenya’s regulator refused to renew licences and ordered mobile money providers to stop processing their payments. It returned only after agreeing to the tax regime of the time, which meant deducting 20% from customers’ winnings. In April 2025, Business Daily reported that the application to dissolve BlueJay Limited came amid a KES 5.2 billion tax demand from the KRA, and placed Betway among several companies that had left or planned to leave Kenya because of frustrations with the taxman.

Betway wasn’t alone. Betin left in 2023 as well, and Betsafe announced its exit in May 2024 “amid heavy taxation”, according to Capital FM. Kenya’s betting taxes have changed repeatedly since then: today players pay 5% excise duty on deposits and 5% withholding tax on withdrawals, and operators pay 15% tax on gross gaming revenue.

🌐 Can you still use Betway from Kenya?

Not legally through a Kenyan licence. Betway closed its Kenyan site and stopped accepting Kenyan registrations in 2023, and we found no Betway entity on Kenya’s lists of licensed operators. Betway’s sites in other countries, such as Ghana or South Africa, are licensed for players in those countries and are built around their own currencies, payment methods and rules.

Trying to play on a foreign Betway site from Kenya, or on any operator without a Kenyan licence, means giving up the protections Kenyan law now provides. Under the Gambling Control Act, 2025 and its 2026 regulations, licensed operators must verify your identity, age and location before your first deposit, offer deposit limits, credit winnings within two days and connect to the national self-exclusion register. None of that applies on an unlicensed site, and you’d have no Kenyan regulator to complain to if your money went missing.

💰 What if you still have an old Betway balance?

When Betway closed in May 2023, its notice said customers could still view their balances and request cash-outs, even though deposits and betting had stopped. If you never withdrew your balance, here’s what we suggest:

1. Gather your records. Find your account details, M-Pesa deposit and withdrawal messages and any emails from Betway.
2. Try the official channels. Contact Betway’s customer support through its official websites and keep a copy of every message.
3. Be aware of the liquidation. The April 2025 application to dissolve BlueJay Limited means money owed by the Kenyan entity may be handled through a formal liquidation process. We couldn’t find published instructions for customer claims, so consider asking a Kenyan lawyer for advice if the amount is significant.
4. Ignore “recovery” offers. Anyone who contacts you offering to recover a Betway balance for a fee is very likely a scammer.

🚩 Beware of fake “Betway Kenya” sites and apps

Well-known brands that have left a market are a favourite target for copycats. Since Betway doesn’t operate in Kenya, treat any of the following as a red flag:

• A website or app calling itself “Betway Kenya” and accepting M-Pesa deposits.
• A WhatsApp, Telegram or TikTok message sharing a “new Betway paybill”.
• An APK download for a “Betway Kenya app” from a site other than an official Betway domain.
• Promises of guaranteed wins, fixed matches or “bonus recovery” linked to Betway.

If you’ve paid money to a fake site, report it to your mobile money provider immediately and keep your transaction messages. When you deposit with a licensed bookmaker, the M-Pesa confirmation should name the operator, never a private individual.

🌍 Where Betway still operates in Africa

Betway remains active in several African markets under local licences. These sites are for residents of each country only.

Outside Kenya, Betway remains a major international brand. It’s part of Super Group (SGHC) Limited, a holding company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and the Ghana Football Association describes the Betway Group as launched in 2006. In Ghana, it’s operated locally by Sports Betting Group Ghana Limited and has been the Official Development Partner of the Ghana Women’s Premier League. None of this changes the position for Kenyan players, though: a licence in another country doesn’t cover customers in Kenya, and the Kenyan operation remains closed.

🇰🇪 Best Betway alternatives in Kenya (October 2026)

These bookmakers come from our guide to the best betting sites in Kenya. Each one appears on the regulator’s licensed list for the 2025/26 trading period and accepts M-Pesa. Kenya’s 2026 register hadn’t been published when we checked, so confirm the current status on gra.go.ke before depositing.

3

SportyBet

★★★★½9.0/10

A fast, light mobile sportsbook with a tiered First Deposit Gift and a multi bet bonus on accumulators.

• 📲 Paybill 590555
• 🛡️ Dreamhub Technology Ltd
• 📱 Android app
• ⚡ Quick M-Pesa payouts

First Deposit Gift up to KES 1,500Up to 300% of first deposit, paid as free-bet gifts

Claim Gift 18+ | T&Cs apply

🔄 Betway features and their Kenyan equivalents

If you used Betway in Kenya before 2023, these are the features you might miss, and where to find something similar today.

📊 Betway alternatives in Kenya compared

🔎 The Betway alternatives reviewed

Here’s a closer look at each licensed alternative, focusing on what former Betway customers are likely to care about: payments, promotions, betting features and the app.

SportyBet: the slickest mobile experience

★★★★½9.0/10

SportyBet launched in Kenya in 2018 and is run locally by Dreamhub Technology Limited, with bookmaker licence 0001203 and public gaming licence 0001202 on the 2025/26 list. If you liked Betway’s polished app, SportyBet’s fast, light interface is the closest match in Kenya: pages load quickly on mid-range phones, and betslips are easy to build and share.

New customers can claim the First Deposit Gift: up to 300% of the first deposit, capped at KES 1,500 and paid as free-bet gifts. A KES 100 deposit earns KES 300, KES 200 earns KES 600, KES 300 earns KES 900 and KES 500 earns the full KES 1,500. SportyBet also runs a multi bet bonus on accumulators, which will feel familiar if you used Betway’s Win Boost.

Deposit through M-Pesa paybill 590555 or an STK push from the app. There’s an Android app and a fast mobile site, but no iOS app.

Best for: mobile-first bettors who want a smooth app, a simple first-deposit reward and quick M-Pesa payouts.

Prefer an international brand?

Two international bookmakers run licensed Kenyan sites. 1xBet operates 1xbet.co.ke through Advanced Gaming Limited (bookmaker licence 0001232) with a first-deposit sports bonus of up to KES 20,000 and M-Pesa paybill 290011. 22Bet operates 22bet.co.ke through Nuntis Holdings Limited (BK-0001293, PG-0001294), with a 100% first-deposit bonus up to KES 19,000 from KES 150 and 5x accumulator wagering. Both are on the 2025/26 list; check the 2026 register before depositing.

🚪 Betway isn’t the only brand to leave Kenya

Betway’s exit is part of a wider pattern. Kenya’s betting market has seen several big names come and go as tax rules changed.

There’s a practical lesson here for every punter. Don’t keep large balances sitting in a betting account. Withdraw winnings regularly, keep your M-Pesa messages and account records, and choose operators with a strong local presence and a current licence. If a bookmaker ever announces an exit, request your cash-out straight away.

🔍 Betway in Kenya: then and now

📝 How to sign up at a Betway alternative

Moving to a licensed Kenyan bookmaker takes a few minutes. These steps apply to all the alternatives in our list.

1. Choose a licensed bookmaker. Pick one from our list and open its official Kenyan site or app.
2. Register with your phone number. Use the Safaricom or Airtel number you’ll deposit from, and confirm the SMS code. You must be 18 or older.
3. Complete verification. Under the 2026 rules, the operator checks your identity, age and location before activating your account and before your first deposit.
4. Set your limits. Choose daily, weekly or monthly deposit limits in the responsible gaming settings.
5. Deposit via the paybill in the app. Copy the paybill from inside your account, and check that the M-Pesa confirmation names the bookmaker. Remember that 5% excise is deducted from your deposit.
6. Read the promotion terms. If there’s a welcome offer, gift or bonus, read the minimum odds, rollover and expiry before you bet.

📲 Paying with M-Pesa safely

Scammers in Kenya regularly share fake “new paybill” numbers on WhatsApp and TikTok, and a well-known brand that has left the market is an easy hook. Here’s how to stay safe with any Kenyan bookmaker.

🧪 How we chose the Betway alternatives

We started from our full guide to the best betting sites in Kenya, then weighed the features that former Betway customers are most likely to look for.

• 35%
  🛡️ Licence. Each brand appears on the regulator’s 2025/26 licensed list, and we note where 2026 licences have been reported.
• 20%
  📲 Payments. M-Pesa paybills, Airtel Money and fast, reliable payouts.
• 20%
  ⚽ Betway-like features. Accumulator bonuses, cash out, live betting, casino and a polished app.
• 15%
  🎁 Promotions. Only offers confirmed by reliable sources, judged on clarity and fairness.
• 10%
  🧘 Responsible gambling. Limits, self-exclusion and clear 18+ checks.

Where sources disagreed, for example on welcome bonuses or some paybill numbers, we left the detail out rather than guess.

🎯 Best Betway alternative for your needs

📖 Kenyan betting features explained for former Betway users

If you’re used to Betway, a few features at Kenyan bookmakers work differently. Here’s what to expect.

Multi-game jackpots

Jackpots ask you to predict the results of a fixed list of matches for a small stake. At SportPesa, the Mega Jackpot covers 17 matches for KES 99, and the same entry also counts towards 13, 14 and 15-game prizes. Pots roll over when nobody wins and can grow very large, but the odds of getting every result right are tiny, so treat the stake as entertainment.

Win bonuses on multibets

Betway’s Win Boost added extra winnings to accumulators. betPawa’s Win Bonus works in a similar way: if a qualifying multibet wins, a percentage is added to your normal winnings, and the percentage rises with the number of legs. There’s no wagering on the bonus, but remember that each extra leg makes the slip much harder to win.

Free-bet gifts

SportyBet’s First Deposit Gift pays you free-bet gifts rather than cash. For example, a KES 500 first deposit earns gifts worth KES 1,500. With most free bets, you keep the winnings but not the gift’s stake, and gifts come with their own minimum-odds and expiry rules, so read them in your account.

Cash out

Cash out lets you settle a bet before all the events have finished, for a value the bookmaker offers based on the current state of play. SportPesa offers full cash out across games, and Odibets and Mozzartbet offer cash out in their apps.

⚖️ Kenya’s betting rules in 2026

Kenya’s gambling rules have changed a lot since Betway left, so it’s worth knowing what to expect from any bookmaker you choose now.

A new law and a new regulator

The Gambling Control Act, 2025 was signed on 7 August 2025 and came into force on 26 August 2025. It repealed the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act of 1966 and replaced the Betting Control and Licensing Board with the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya (GRA). Licensees must be Kenyan-registered companies with at least 30% of shares held by Kenyan citizens.

Licensing in transition

Detailed regulations took effect from 1 July 2026. The GRA reopened licence applications on 18 August 2026 and set 24 September 2026 as the end date for licences issued under the old law. A High Court judicial review of the new licence fees (JR E251 of 2026) was still pending in mid-October 2026, and the GRA hadn’t yet published a 2026 register. Some operators, such as SportPesa, already display licence numbers in the new GRAK/2026 format.

Rules that protect you

• Your identity, age and location must be checked before your account is activated and before your first deposit.
• Operators must offer daily, weekly and monthly deposit limits.
• Winnings must be credited to your account within two days.
• The minimum online stake is KES 20.
• Credit cards can’t be used for gambling, and virtual assets such as crypto are prohibited unless the GRA approves them.
• Gambling ads need prior approval and can’t run on TV or radio between 06:00 and 22:00, except during live sport.

🧾 Betting tax in Kenya in 2026

When Betway relaunched in 2019, it deducted 20% withholding tax from winnings. The rules for players are different today.

✅ How to check a Kenyan bookmaker’s licence

Because Betway is gone and copycats exist, it’s worth checking any bookmaker before you deposit.

1. Find the licence statement. Scroll to the site’s footer for the company name and licence numbers. New 2026 licences use the GRAK/2026/BK… and GRAK/2026/PG… format.
2. Check with the GRA. Look the company up on gra.go.ke, or call the GRA’s toll-free line on 0800 723 770.
3. Check the paybill. Copy the paybill from inside your account, and make sure the M-Pesa confirmation names the bookmaker.
4. Test with a small deposit. Deposit a small amount and request a small withdrawal before committing more.
5. Set limits first. A licensed operator must let you set deposit limits. If a site doesn’t, don’t use it.

🔁 Switching from Betway: what changes for you

If you were a Betway customer before 2023, moving to a licensed Kenyan bookmaker is straightforward, but a few things will feel different.

• Verification comes first. Under the 2026 rules, you’ll complete identity, age and location checks before your first deposit, not after.
• Taxes look different. Instead of the 20% deduction from winnings Betway applied in 2019, you’ll see 5% excise on deposits and 5% withholding tax on payouts.
• Bonuses are smaller and simpler. Many Kenyan bookmakers prefer ongoing rewards, jackpots and accumulator bonuses to large welcome offers.
• Jackpots are a bigger deal. Kenyan brands put a lot of weight on multi-game jackpots, from SportPesa’s 17-game Mega Jackpot to Betika’s Grand Jackpot.
• Paybills replace cards. M-Pesa paybills are the standard way to deposit, and credit cards are banned for gambling.