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Kenya to Reimpose 20% Tax on Wagering Stakes
The Kenyan betting and gaming sector has encountered a major fiscal hurdle, as the country’s government reimposes a 20% tax on wagering stakes as well as doubling its taxation of foreign tech firms.
Publishing the 2022 Finance Bill, the Treasury detailed that the 20% tax rate would be reintroduced, just under two years after it was abandoned in 2020 after substantial criticism from the Kenya Betting Control Board (BCLB).
Described by the BCLB and operators active in Kenya at the time as a “market killer”, the 20% taxation saw several betting firms depart the country such as Betin and SportPesa – exacerbated by an additional 20% tax on player winnings – although brands such as Betsson’s Betsafe have since found success in the market.
Kenya’s Treasury Cabinet Undersecretary Ukur Yatani stated his intent last year to reintroduce the 20% tax rate, and the Finance Bill has been submitted to the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning after its first reading.
As well as raising the tax on stakes, the Kenyan Revenue Authority (KRA) has proposed to increase digital tax service (DST) to 3% of the gross value of online transactions in the financial year, seeking to take advantage of an increasingly digitised economy.
The current DST stands at 1.5% and will increase from July onwards. Although predominantly targeting firms such as Amazon and PayPal, the raise could have an added effect on the betting and gaming industry, due to the impact of revenues of solution, software and payments providers.
Kenyan authorities are targeting increased revenue via the tax rate, with the current 1.5% rate currently projected to generate around Sh13.9 billion by June 2024, with the tax levied on digital content provided by international companies such as music, games, films and e-books.
Writing in the Finance Bill 2022, Ukur Yatani explained: “The Third Schedule to the Income Tax Act is amended by deleting the expression ‘one-point-five percent’ appearing in paragraph 12 (digital service tax rate) and substituting.”
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Eagerly anticipated release now confirmed following a highly successful exclusivity period with Rush Street Interactive
Play’n GO has today announced the official US release of its hit title Colt Lightning Firestorm, following a three-week period of exclusivity with Rush Street Interactive brands BetRivers and SugarHouse.
Colt Lightning Firestorm was released in Europe and other jurisdictions in May 2024, and its release in the US comes with much fanfare following the game’s rave reviews in its short exclusivity period. The game is a sequel to the wildly popular Colt Lightning game which was released early last year, and indications at this stage suggest that this sequel may prove even more successful.
This announcement sees Colt Lightning Firestorm available to players in each state and operator with whom Play’n GO is licensed. Play’n GO first entered the online casino market in the US in 2022, and has reiterated its commitment to becoming active in every regulated market around the world.
Magnus Olsson, Chief Commercial Officer at Play’n GO said: “We’re excited to unveil Colt Lightning Firestorm to the wider online casino gaming community in the US, and have been very pleased to see its strong performance during its exclusivity period with Rush Street Interactive. We had high hopes for the game following the success of its predecessor, and we’re confident that these robust results will continue now that the game is available to an even bigger audience.”
Esports entertainment company BLAST has announced plans to host two popular esports events in Singapore in 2024 and 2025.
BLAST will bring both world-class Counter-Strike and Dota 2 tournaments to the heart of Southeast Asia, marking a major step in Singapore’s emergence as an esports and gaming hub. Supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), these high-profile events will bring the world’s best esports teams and players from all across the world to compete in Singapore.
BLAST has teamed up with AEG Presents Asia, one of the world’s largest live entertainment entities to bring these events to Singapore. The partnership forms part of BLAST’s ambition to create the best esports experiences by working closely with premier destinations and the biggest and best live entertainment partners.
More than half of global esports views (57%) are estimated to come from the Asia Pacific region, 47% more than any other region in the world with the global market valued at $1.6 billion.
By bringing the top-tier Counter-Strike and Dota 2 tournaments to Singapore, BLAST aims
to attract global esports talent, foster local growth, and elevate Singapore’s status as a destination for world-class esports entertainment.
James Woollard, Director of Market Development at BLAST, said: “We are incredibly excited to bring two of the biggest esports titles to this vibrant destination. Over the coming 18 months, Singapore will become a major hub for esports in Southeast Asia, and with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board, we look forward to delivering unforgettable experiences for fans while helping to build a thriving esports ecosystem in the region. Bringing the first BLAST arena event to Singapore is an exciting first step in this journey. The World Final will see the world’s best Counter-Strike players and teams fighting for a $1,000,000 total prize pool.”
Ms Ong Ling Lee, Executive Director, Sports and Wellness, Singapore Tourism Board, said, “We are excited to host the BLAST Premier World Final and the BLAST Dota Slam in Singapore. The Counter-Strike event marks the first BLAST-branded event in Southeast Asia and the inaugural Counter-Strike tournament series in the region, solidifying Singapore’s position as a world-class esports destination. We are confident that the international participants and their legions of fans will have a memorable experience in Singapore, immersing themselves in the diverse and dynamic offerings of our city.”
The World Final 2024 will take place from 30th October – 3rd November and will be the first BLAST event to take place in Singapore, followed by the BLAST Dota Slam in 2025. The World Final will be the biggest Counter-Strike event to take place in Singapore, where the world’s best eight Counter-Strike teams will compete for a massive prize pool of $1,000,000 and the chance to claim bragging rights as the best team around.
Qualified World Final teams: NAVI, Team Spirit, Team Vitality, FaZe Clan and G2 Esports.
Fans can sign-up for the pre-sale window by registering with BLAST.tv, where they will also receive updates and information on tickets.
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