Shock as Ethiopia Suspends Sports Betting Company Betika Over Fraud Allegations Amounting to Billions
Paul Nyongesa
Shock as Ethiopia Suspends Sports Betting Company Betika Over Fraud Allegations Amounting to Billions
Kenya’s sports betting company Betika has been suspended from operating in Ethiopia following explosive allegations that the firm defrauded the government of more than KSh 83.5 billion in tax revenue.
According to Ethiopian authorities, the suspension comes amid a widening probe into what they describe as a large-scale financial fraud scheme involving massive tax underpayments and irregular remittances. Officials say preliminary findings point to systemic manipulation of financial records, prompting the government to halt Betika’s operations pending a full audit.
The dramatic move follows a multi-agency crackdown led jointly by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), the Ethiopian Federal Police, and other investigative units.
Ethiopia said the freeze will remain in place until it completes its criminal investigations, with authorities noting that the move is intended to strengthen compliance within the country’s growing digital gaming and betting sector.
Officials added that tighter oversight is necessary to curb tax leakages, enhance transparency, and ensure that all operators adhere to national financial regulations.
The Ethiopian Lottery Service (ELS) says the owners of the 22 suspended betting sites, including Betika, are suspected to have concealed more than KSh 83.5 billion that should have been remitted as government revenue.
“The Ethiopian Lottery Service announces that the sports betting licences of 22 sports betting organisations have been suspended effective November 25, pursuant to Article 14/2/C/ of Proclamation No. 535/1999 and Sports Betting Lottery Licensing Directive No. 172/2013,” the ELS said in a statement.
According to the regulator, the investigation involves multiple state agencies.
“It is known that the owners and accomplices of sports betting organisations suspected of hiding more than 100bn birr which should have been government revenue, have been apprehended through the collaboration of the National Intelligence and Security Service, the Financial Security Service, the Ethiopian Federal Police, security bodies of the Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa city administrations and the public,” the ELS said.
This comes as Betika has also been facing mounting criticism in Kenya, where many punters and bettors have publicly claimed they were defrauded of their winnings or unable to withdraw money from their accounts.
On social media and review sites, several users report that winnings did not reflect in their accounts or that withdrawal attempts repeatedly failed, leaving them frustrated and without clear resolution from customer support.
Some reviews specifically complain that withdrawals are delayed or not processed, with many customers saying their winning bets never translated into paid cash despite repeated contact with Betika’s service team.
Others describe instances where funds were deducted or disappeared without explanation, with support responses either slow or unhelpful.
Overall feedback on consumer review platforms shows a pattern of negative experiences related to payouts and account access, contributing to the criticism against the betting firm in Kenya.
