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Arsenal bets on gambling company SportPesa to grow fan base in Kenya

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Ronald Karauri, SportPesa CEO, with Vinai Venkatesham, Arsenal chief commercial officer, at the Emirates Stadium in London. PHOTO | COURTESY

Arsenal Football Club is betting on gambling firm SportPesa to grow its fan base in Kenya and reach out to local supporters.

The English Premier League team last week signed a partnership deal with the Kenyan betting company, seeking to offer locals exclusive bets and offerings such as merchandise and tickets.

Arsenal said the deal with SportPesa will see Kenyans win rewards, discounts, club products and tickets to go watch team in action at Emirates Stadium.

“SportPesa will be offering Arsenal supporters in Kenya a range of club-related benefits, including official merchandise and match tickets to see the team at Emirates Stadium. This will be through a range of mechanics,” said a spokesman at Arsenal in an interview with the Business Daily.

WATCH: Arsenal announce partnership with SportPesa

Arsenal declined to provide the value of the commercial deal signed with SportPesa.

The top-flight football team says the partnership gives it an opportunity to engage with supporters in Kenya through the club’s digital channels, promotional activities, marketing initiatives featuring first-team players and club legends. 

Arsenal further said that through the SportPesa deal, the club will mentor and train young footballers in Kenya to develop the next crop of local top-flight soccer players.

SportPesa will be offering five-day training camps twice per season which will be led by Arsenal-trained coaching staff.

“We will be working closely with SportPesa to run coaching sessions in Kenya and to help inspire young children to play football the Arsenal way,” Arsenal said.

Arsenal will also offer the opportunity for Kenyan football administrators to meet and learn from expert Arsenal staff and bring these lessons back to Kenya to help develop their own facilities.

The partnership with SportPesa makes it Arsenal’s second deal in Kenya after the London club in May 2013 entered into a deal with Imperial Bank to issue co-branded debit cards.

The Arsenal – Imperial Bank deal is currently in abeyance after the Central Bank of Kenya on October 13, 2015 placed the mid-tier lender under receivership due to “unsafe and unsound business conditions to transact business.”

The renewed interest by Arsenal to have a local partner in Kenya highlights Nairobi’s status as a hotbed of the club’s supporters – and a prime captive market to popularise the club and sell merchandise.

Three out of every 10 Kenyan football fans are supporters of Arsenal, according to a study by BBC done in August 2015. Manchester United follows with 23 per cent and Chelsea was ranked third with 17 per cent.

Arsenal justified the choice of SportPesa, terming the betting firm as ‘the market leader within the industry in Kenya.’

SportPesa is banking on the Arsenal deal to grow revenue by attracting more people to take part in some of its exclusive bets and offers during the Premier League season.

“We are also very excited for this partnership and are looking forward for greater revolution in the Kenyan football world,” said Ronald Karauri, chief executive at SportPesa.

Kenya’s sports betting industry has experienced phenomenal growth aided by the ease of placing bets online or through SMS and paying via mobile money such as M-Pesa.

Betway – the official sponsor of West Ham United – is also in the Kenyan market.

Other sports betting players in Kenya are mCHEZA, EliteBet, Betin, JustBet, Bet365, BetYetu, eazibet, Lucky2u, 256Bet, Royal Kenya Bets, go-bet.

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