Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’ i said that the betting companies owe the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Sh26 billion in unpaid taxes.
The Cs said that the betting firms are trying to use the court to frustrate their fight.
The government recently ordered that all betting firms apply for operating licenses afresh starting July 1, in a move to net firms that have been evading in taxes despite reaping billions of shillings in profits.
“My firm instructions is that anyone who applied for a different permit and ended in the gambling business, I am ready to sign their deportation papers today,” said Dr. Matiang’ i.
Over 50,000 Kenyans blacklisted by the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) over defaults in repaying loans are gamblers, noted Interior Security Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’ i during a meeting with betting stakeholders in Nairobi on Monday.
Dr. Matiang’i blamed local betting companies for turning the youths into huge borrowers who are mostly jobless.
A recent survey by Transunion Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) found that 316,455 people in a group of 600,000 cases had been negatively listed for outstanding balances of less than Sh100 associated with mobile money.
Matangi also said the government will deport directors of betting companies who do not have genuine work permits to do gambling.“Anyone who applied for a different permit and ended in a gambling business should be deported. I am ready to sign their deportation papers today. We have to clean up the sector,” said Matiang’i.