In recent developments, prominent gambling company Betika has become entangled in a legal dispute with an aggrieved bettor, Nelson Melly, who asserts that he secured a substantial sum of Sh477,590 on Betika’s virtual betting platform.
Despite Melly’s claimed triumph, allegations have arisen that Betika has not met its payout obligations. Consequently, Melly has issued an ultimatum: either fulfill the payment within 24 hours or be prepared to face legal consequences.
Melly’s legal representative, Isaac Okinyo, dispatched a formal demand letter to Betika, with copies sent to the Data Protection Agency (DTA) and the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB).
The missive accuses Betika of allegedly accessing Melly’s account information without proper authorization and using his account to place wagers on other teams, purportedly as a justification for withholding the payment of his alleged winnings.
The letter from Okinyo states, “You have declined and continue to decline the payment of our client’s winning bet amount of Ksh477,590/=. Furthermore, you have proceeded to illicitly access and employ our client’s account for betting on other teams, ostensibly to rationalize the withholding of the won amount. We have separately brought this matter to the attention of the DTA and the BCLB.”
Melly contends that he invested Sh113,712 on October 16, 2023, around 5 am, to place a virtual bet. Despite his financial commitment and his alleged success, Betika has yet to meet its financial obligations.
Dated October 18, 2023, the demand letter warns Betika to acknowledge responsibility within a day, or else legal proceedings will be initiated.
“Kindly be informed that unless we receive your written acknowledgment of responsibility within the next twenty-four hours from the date of this letter, we have been instructed to commence legal proceedings against you to recover our client’s funds at your own financial risk, inclusive of subsequent legal expenses. Please take this as official notice,” Okinyo emphasizes in the letter.
Betika now confronts an imminent lawsuit and the potential for harm to its reputation. The company must respond promptly and effectively to Melly’s allegations to mitigate any further legal entanglements and rebuild customer confidence.
