SportPesa catapulted from a Nairobi start-up to a pan-continental heavyweight in under a decade by doing two things better than anyone else on the continent: integrating mobile money and dangling headline-grabbing jackpots. In this report, Data Drive Sports breaks down every layer of the modern SportPesa offering, licensing, markets, mobile UX, payouts, promos, pros, and pitfalls, so value-hunters and casual punters alike can decide if it deserves a slot on their handset.
Licensing & Trust – Where Is SportPesa Legal in 2025?
| Region |
Local Entity |
Regulator/Licence |
Status |
| Kenya |
Milestone Games Ltd. |
BCLB |
Active |
| Tanzania |
SportPesa Ltd. |
Gaming Board of Tanzania |
Active |
| South Africa |
SportPesa Pty. |
Western Cape Gambling Board |
Active |
| Isle of Man / ROW |
SPS Sportsoft PLC |
IOM Gambling Supervision |
Active |
| U.K. |
TGP Europe Ltd. |
UKGC |
Closed 2020 |
| Italy |
RCS Gaming Limited |
ADM |
Exited 2021 |
| U.S. |
— |
— |
Not available |
Bettors outside licensed zones will geo-block at sign-up; always use the regional domain (*.co.ke, *.tz, .net) to avoid impostor clones.
Sports & Markets – From EPL to KPL on a Lightweight Menu
Football Front and Centre
Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, UEFA competitions, CAF Champions League, and the Kenyan Premier League headline each weekend. A marquee EPL fixture lists roughly 150 markets, plenty for casuals, if shy of the 400+ found at European mega-books. Common options:
- 1X2, Draw No Bet, Double Chance
- Asian & European Handicaps
- Over/Under Goals 0.5–5.5
- Both Teams to Score, Correct Score
- First/Anytime Goalscorer (star matches only)
Other Sports
Basketball (NBA, EuroLeague, BAL), rugby union & league, cricket (international + IPL/SA20), tennis (ATP/WTA), boxing/MMA, Formula 1, NASCAR, cycling, golf, and darts round out a 25-sport lobby. Esports make cameo appearances for majors like LoL Worlds or CS:GO Majors, but depth is thin.
The SportPesa Jackpot Suite – Life-Changing Pools for Pocket-Change Stakes
| Jackpot |
Matches |
Stake |
Typical Prize Pool |
Notes |
| Mega Jackpot |
17 |
KSh 100 |
KSh 100 m–250 m |
Rolls over until 17/17 correct |
| Mid-Week Jackpot |
13 |
KSh 99 |
KSh 10 m–30 m |
Pays smaller tiers 12/13, 11/13 |
| Daily Jackpot (SA) |
10 |
R5 |
R100 000+ |
Localised fixtures |
Pools are pari-mutuel: prizes split among winners for each correct-pick tier. Even 12/17 correct can net six-figure shilling sums, fuelling viral winner stories that double as free marketing.
Live Betting – Stripped-Down but Stable on 3G
- Sports Covered: Football, tennis, basketball, cricket, rugby.
- Visuals: Minimalist scoreboard, possession bars, and live odds grid; no video streams.
- Wager Types: Match result, next goal, next point, game totals, limited player props on big matches.
- Speed: Sports betting odds refresh every 3–4 s. Test bets confirmed in ≈2.2 s on 4G, ≈3 s on 3G Lite, good enough for East-African data realities.
Partial or full Cash Out is available on most live markets, but not on jackpot selections.
Mobile Integration – SMS, USSD & App Workflows
M-Pesa SMS Flow (Kenya)
- Register: Text GAME to 79079.
- Deposit: Send amount to Paybill 521212, account SportPesa.
- Bet: SMS 12345#1X2 (match ID + prediction).
- Withdrawal: SMS W#amount; funds land in wallet within seconds.
Mobile Web & Android App
- 400 KB page weight for home screen; loads in under 2 s on EDGE.
- One-tap tabs: Today, Live, Jackpots, Promos, My Bets.
- Fingerprint login, dark mode toggle, push notifications for results & cash-out triggers.
No iOS app yet; Safari users get PWA prompts instead.
Bonuses & Promotions – Low Volume, High Relevance
| Offer |
Region |
Details |
| First Deposit Match 100 % up to KSh 2 000 |
Kenya |
3× rollover @1.5+ within 30 days |
| FreeBet R25 |
South Africa |
Bet R50 single @1.8+ to unlock |
| Odds Boost (EPL Saturdays) |
Global |
5–10 % enhanced odds on selected trebles |
| Birthday Bonus |
Kenya/TZ |
KSh 500 free bet auto-credited on DOB |
| Refer-a-Friend |
All |
Both parties receive 20 % of friend’s first stake (max KSh 500) as free bet |
Promos rotate, but jackpots remain the evergreen hook.
Payment Methods – Hyper-Local & Instant
| Country |
Deposit Options |
Withdrawal Speed |
| Kenya |
M-Pesa, Airtel Money |
Instant–15 min |
| Tanzania |
Tigo Pesa, Vodacom MPesa, Airtel Money |
≤30 min |
| South Africa |
Ozow EFT, VISA/Mastercard, SID Instant EFT |
2 h–24 h |
| Isle of Man / ROW |
VISA/Mastercard, Skrill, Neteller, Bank Wire |
2 h–3 bd |
SportPesa charges no internal fees; mobile wallets levy network charges (~KSh 11 per M-Pesa transfer).
Customer Support & Community Engagement
- Live Chat: 08:00–22:00 local (24/7 during AFCON, EPL final day, etc.)
- Phone: Toll-free helplines per territory.
- Email & Twitter (@SportPesaCare): Responses within four hours.
- CSR: Investment in youth leagues, boxing gyms, and wildlife conservation creates goodwill and keeps the brand front-page in local press.
Responsible Gambling Tools
- Deposit & stake limits via SMS keyword or app toggle.
- 24-hour timeout and 6-month self-exclusion.
- Reality-check SMS after cumulative daily stakes exceed preset threshold.
- Partnerships with Kenyatta National Hospital’s addiction unit and Safaricom’s Jipange program.
SportPesa Verdict
For punters in Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa, SportPesa remains the benchmark for friction-free mobile betting. Lightning-quick wallet transfers, a jackpot culture that turns headlines into hope, and a clean interface tailored to low-bandwidth networks outshine the absence of flashy extras. International bettors accustomed to deep prop menus or HD streams might feel under-served, but SportPesa was never built for that crowd. If you value convenience, community clout, and the possibility of life-changing jackpots from a KSh 100 ticket, SportPesa still deserves pride of place on your home screen.
