In my experience, this was the weirdest bonus system I had ever interacted with. The dedicated section for bonuses and promotions on Betika desktop/mobile or app versions does not seem to exist. Some info was found in T&Cs` “Sports Betting Rules” section.

Betika’s sign up offer is mysterious, to put it mildly. “The registration bonus is determined at Betika at our absolute discretion” What does that mean? I contacted Betikas support, and after a few emails things cleared up.

Registration Bonus

This is a Bonus awarded to newly registered customers. The Bonus amount is Ksh 20.

First Deposit Cash Bonus

This is a Bonus awarded daily for a customer’s first deposit of Ksh 99 or more where Betika shall refund the transaction charges as a bonus. The bonus has to be used to place a bet with total odds not less than 9.99. If won, cash can be redeemed and withdrawn.

Jackpot Bonus

This is a bonus awarded to a player who has correctly predicted 12-14 games for the mid-week jackpot and 12-16 games for the Grand jackpot. This Betika bonus is awarded as cash.

Another ridiculous offer is the Lost multi-bet Bonus. I was unable to check it’s T&Cs due to some website’s technical problems, but here is the cite from support “if you place a multi-bet of 7 games and lose one game, you will get half Stake Back Bonus Amount” In my opinion, that sounds more like a spit in the face than a bonus.

There’s also a bet share promotion, which lets you share a bet with friends and family through apps and social media, if they also place a bet, you get entered into a prize draw. A loyalty system in the form of Betika points is also in place.

Generally, Betika promotions are associated with tiny rewards in exchange for volatile bets.

One of the reasons that the site is popular is because of Betika odds. In general, they are competitive. For example, major football leagues are offered for ~ 5 – 5,5% and second/third echelon leagues are in the range of 6,8% – 8.5% margin. There are certainly instances where you’ll get a bigger payout elsewhere, but there are bets where a player will find excellent value across a range of sports.

There are several ways to access the sportsbook’s services. Online access is available through the desktop site and the Betika mobile site which is adapted for all internet browsers including Opera mini. From a user’s perspective, everything works fast, smooth and gives you full access to the features.

Additionally, Betika offers a dedicated mobile app that works in lite mode to save money on data in traditionally weak internet coverage in Kenya. The Betika app download is easier to do on iPhones than Android devices. It can be done through the App Store for Apple products, or the apk format for Android can be downloaded directly from the site.

We caught some bugs during app usage. ShikishaBet menu is empty, while there are games on desktop/mobile versions. Betika Super league links to a blank page.
From my interaction with Betika, I would rate a user experience in the following order:

• Mobile version
• Desktop version
• Android/iOS app

The Betika website is bright and colourful, with a green header and the eye-catching yellow logo. The design of the Betika desktop site puts the main components of betting in easy reach. The odds are in the center, you can change sports from the menu on the left, and to the right, you’ll see your bet slip.

Registration can be done through SMS, by dialling a USSD code or completing the form on the website. Once you have your login details, you can make a deposit, access the promotions, and place your first bet. Most information is easy to find, but the more technical data in the help section requires a few more clicks to get where you want to.

Football is the main focus of the sportsbook, and international leagues and tournaments are well-covered. There are lots of bet types too, from red cards, to first to score, as well as match winners.

Other Betika bet markets are worth your attention, including basketball, tennis, cricket, and a broad range of eSports. You’ll find bets on League of Legends, Overwatch, and Dota 2, as well as many others.

In what Betika is fantastic for and worth of giving it a shot are regular Jackpots for all tastes.

Betika Midweek Jackpot

With the cost price of 15KSH bet-slip involves 15 events to guess with classical 1X2 selection and a massive 15 000 000 KSH (~ 130,700 EUR) payment for all 15 correct. There is also cash awarded to players who have correctly predicted 12-14 games.

Betika Grand Jackpot

Grand Jackpot is the holy grail in Kenyan jackpot hunters universe. Only 60 KSH for a shot and only 17 correct predictions separates a punter from fabulous 100 000 000 KSH (~ 870 000 EUR). You can be the best football expert in the whole world but without some luck to scoop such jackpots is impossible.

Sababisha Daily Jackpot

Six picks from which 3 are 1X2 (home, draw, away) and the rest 3 are GG/NG. GG means both teams to score (BTTS) and NG implies at least one side will not score. For 10 KSH bet and six correct predictions payout is 100 000KSH. If there are multiple winners, prize money will be shared amongst all of them equally.

One of the most exciting Betika sports betting features is the Shiksha bet, which lets you add several pre-match bet types from selected matches. Toughness here is by volatile and high random filled betting markets added like cards/penalties/corners. On the other hand, the result is high total odds, and the chance to win a significant amount of money. For example, in 2019, Solomon won 2.1 million shillings after betting just Sh18. He created a Shiksha Bet combination of 13 legs and won.

From the Betika live betting page, you can place in-play bets on several sports, including soccer, ice hockey, eSports, basketball, and many others. The odds are updated relatively quickly, and there are useful statistics and graphics to help you follow the action. Live bet is capped to 50 000 KSH per stake.

Knowing that an operator is one you can trust is essential for a positive betting experience. Several signs show whether a sportsbook is legitimate or not. The first one to look at is whether it is an authorized betting site. The Betika license from the Betting Control and Licensing Board of Kenya is an excellent start for the site’s credibility.

Other factors in its favour are the thorough terms and conditions, clear betting rules, and the privacy policy, which the operator sets out so that the customers know where they stand. Betika also has a self-exclusion option for customers to limit their accounts and practice responsible gambling.

In 2019, several complaints were made by customers, whose bets were cancelled. After some time, Betika resolved the issues directly with customers.

Deposits

There are two popular Kenyan payment methods to choose from for a Betika deposit. They include Safaricom’s M-Pesa and Airtel Money. Deposits are made in KSH, and you’ll need the pay bill number 290290 for M-Pesa, or to use the account BETIKA for Airtel.

Sad but true, there are deposit fees. To check M-Pesa deposit charges:

1. Dial *234#
2. Go to 5. My M-PESA information, click send
3. Go to no 2:Tariff Query then click send
4. Go to 5. Lipa na M-PESA. Then enter the pay bill number and click send.
5. Finally, enter the amount then click send.

Safaricom will give you the charge fee. Minimum deposit amount is 1KSH.

Withdrawals

Once you’ve completed a Betika cashout, you’ll want to access your winnings. Withdrawals are possible through the Safaricom SMS system and via Airtel. There are charges for using the SMS service. Betika has a few offline shops in Nairobi, and customers can cash out their winnings in these spots. However, there is a massive con as the max withdrawable amount per day per mobile number is a modest 5000KSH.

There is a tweet dated by March 2017 from Betika’s twitter page. It says “withdrawal charges are as follows 50 – 1,000 (15Kes ) 1,001 – 2,500 (25Kes) 2,501 – 70,000 (33Kes)”. This information is out of date.

I contacted the support and collected current Betika withdrawal fees. For M-Pesa and Airtel, withdrawal charges depend on cash outing amounts:
– 50 – 2,499 (15Kes),
– 2,500 – 70,000 (33Kes).
Fun fact, the maximum daily withdrawal limit is 300 000KSH. So if someone wins the Grand Jackpot, it will take him close to a year (333 days) to withdraw his money.

Another sign of a reputable sportsbook is a dedicated, polite, and professional customer service team. There are several ways to get in touch with Betika Kenya. The online chat is present in the bottom corner of the site. Don’t rush to use it; your conversation will probably look like a monologue. I had tried to contact live chat twice. A few months earlier and now in May 2020. Both times unsuccessfully.

Other Betika contact methods include:
Twitter – https://twitter.com/betikaKe
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/betikaKenya

Alternatively, you can send an email to the [email protected] or [email protected], or contact them using the phone number +254729290290. There’s a help centre with some FAQs, although it doesn’t cover all of the basics, and focuses more on promotions.

The Betika betting site is a promising contender for Kenyan sports fans. It has some weak points, including the choice of payment methods, lack of decent deposit bonus and the issues over cancelled bets. The latter seems to be resolved, and some more options for withdrawal in the future will undoubtedly boost the site’s numbers.

The advantages of betting here are numerous. Primarily they include the vast choice of jackpots, the excellent football markets, the wide choice of other sports bets, and the live betting and streaming sections. Although you can sometimes find better value elsewhere, this bookmaker is a must-have for every football jackpot hunter in Kenya.