Survival tactics; Students turns to sports betting to meet high University costs

Cash-strapped Kenyan students are turning to sports betting instead of relying on loans or parental support, often with negative consequences for their studies.

Zablon Nzioki, a fourth-year student at Kenyatta University, has been sports betting for the last six years in order to earn money for his daily needs and university fees. The 22-year-old economics and statistics student is now an analyst for the sports betting platform, SportPesa, with operations in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.

“We are a group of 26, all students from four universities – Kenyatta University, Maseno University, the University of Nairobi and Pioneer International University,” Nzioki said.
Of the 26, he says there are three analysts specialising in football games who determine which games are likely to win. They put their predictions on the group’s WhatsApp group they formed a year ago, and the group members bet individually, based on what they can afford.
“As the analysts, we are paid sh10, 000 for the prediction we send the group for the day. This is money contributed by the group members,” he said.

The highest amount a student has won in the group is sh600, 000 but the amount ranges between sh30, 000 and sh100, 000 for a bet.
Zablon adds that the success of their group is however not a walk in the park. At first no one trusted them as they had a series of loses in their games analysis. They explored ways on how to better the website and by that they reached to Dr Mugwenu who offered them luck spell in gambling which has since then worked wonders in their gig. Since then they have been making more money with a series of consecutive wins.
“We have even formed a platform where we help the needy students with loans. They repay with small interests rates, which adds value to our gig. The most important part of gambling is to havr luck,” he added.

Nzioki says because the temptation for students to spend fees money on placing bets is high, the group has set rules and warnings to the group members so that they don’t hold anyone in the group liable should they find themselves in trouble.

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