M-bet / M-BetPlus

M-Bet is the only Kenyan Bookie with Swahili as an alternative language; not that there are many people who’d love kuwekelea but it’s great having a choice. They have a Tanzanian betting site under the same name too. M-Bet. They have a 12-game jackpot, with bonuses for 10 and 11 correct picks and a fancy reserve picks feature. More on that. There’s an Android-only app too. M-Bet has a commission based referral program too where you can generate some side cash by inviting new users. Players get a 20% referral commission at M-Bet while other bookies like Sportpesa and SportyBet give a Kes 100 free bet for new sign ups.

M-Bet at a glance

M-bet Kenya is licensed by the BCLB under license number 803. The brand was launched in last year (April 2019) and their jackpot was its biggest selling point. Players could wager by SMS or by web; the app was introduced later. In their launch, players could win signed Manchester United jerseys by just registering. It’s not clear whether M-Bet Kenya is run by Capital Gaming Limited – the South African based parent company.

M-Bet Deposit Options

Make deposits by M-Pesa or by Airtel Money. Key-in how much you’d like to deposit and that’s it. A prompt will be displayed on your phone asking you to approve the deposit. This form works for both Airtel Money and M-Pesa.

Both M-pesa and airtel Money have the same limits. Kes 1 is the minimum deposit. Kes 10M is the maximum deposit at M-Bet though, you can’t deposit more than Kes 300,000 as this is the maximum daily transaction limit set by these payment processors

M-bet Withdrawal options

Kes 150 is the minimum withdrawal limit while Kes 5,000 is the maximum. This looks like a mistake as the numbers don’t add up.

Payment methods conclusion

Deposits and withdrawals are by M-Pesa/Airtel Money and are instant. However, Kes 5,000 is the “maximun (sp)” withdrawal limit according to their terms and conditions.

M-bet Customer service

They were very responsive (under 30 seconds reply) via chat.

The brand responds to all inquiries made via social media too.

How M-Bet operates in Kenya

A customer care rep hinted that they’re migrating from https://m-bet.co.ke/ to https://m-betplus.co.ke/ this explains why a few features – like the jackpot and the livescore – are broken. M-Bet plus has a blue theme that’s used in the Zambian version. Live betting is functional on the new site and they even introduced a Chezasmart section where they have shared tips on responsible gambling.

The good

There’s a nice summary of all transactions at the homepage

The wallet shows how much money there is currently in your M-Bet Account. The P. Withdrawals sums up all funds that you’ve requested to be withdrawn but haven’t been processed yet. Withdrawable shows how much you’ll get after M-Pesa / Airtel Money transaction charges have been deducted. Neat.

The bad

The jackpot was unavailable at the time of this review

M-bet used to have a 12 game jackpot and it’s currently “under maintenance” though I’m sceptical, to be honest. The Kenyan M-Bet site is a replica of the Tanzanian one and their jackpot is available. Kenya is short of bookies with a decent jackpot. The BetWay jackpot looks promising but isn’t worth your time either.

Few events in the live betting section

Only soccer matches were available for betting at the time of this review. Only three matches were available on that day.

Compare this to 22bet that had 1000+ live events across multiple sports

The M-Bet platform

Searching games

There’s a search feature where you can filter events by day, league and team. This comes in handy when looking for teams in obscure leagues.

The perfect 12 jackpot

This week’s jackpot is at Kes 4.2M before tax. Predict 12 correct picks and you could bag it. There’s no “official” declaration of how many correct picks are eligible for a bonus but word is that a bonus is given for 9+ correct picks.

There are 5 reserve games for this jackpot. It’s an uncertain time now that games are being postponed due to COVID-related causes. With the first reserve game on the list going first, picks on these games will replace cancelled/postponed events in the jackpot.

Welcome Bonuses and promotions

There are two active promotions

A Kes 25 free bet for new players

All new players get a Kes 25 free bet with their first deposit. There are no terms attached to it and it works on events with more than 1.00 odds. I’ve never seen a pick with less than 1.01 odds.

A loyalty program

I feel that they could have done a better job at explaining what it is. My guess is that they mean you’ll get a Kes 25 free bet after making 10 bet slips; each exceeding a Kes 250 stake.

Quality of odds

They have very low odds. 1.83/1.74 for a fair coin toss. Elitebet Kenya was the last place I saw such tight odds and it’s no surprise that the bookie went under.

Betting Limits

There’s no “official” clarification on the betting limits. Their M-Pesa pay bill number is hidden too and you’ll have to request a deposit online.

 Mobile Options

Grammar aside, M-bet has a fully functional mobile app where you can transact and place bets. Their website is fully responsive too.

Verdict

I give M-Bet a 4 star. They have solid features, a decent jackpot and low odds but I feel that they should have communicated that there’s an M-Bet Plus version with even better features.

Bottomline

M-Bet is a great bookie but I feel that much could be improved. Their website feels incomplete. It’s missing a lot of crucial information like transaction charges applicable to withdrawals.

FAQs

Is M-Bet Legit?

Yes. They are licensed by the BCLB

What is m-bet perfect 12?

This is their 12-game jackpot where you could win up to Kes 3.36M after tax for 12 correct picks.

Kanyi Muturi

I’m Kanyi Muturi and am from Tabuga, a small village in Nakuru. I have been following all sports since I was a kid and have been interested in the gambling side of sports since I was in high school. It took me a little while to get a grasp on all of the different gambling terminology and understand how confusing and complicated it can all seem when you first start.
Are you a professional gambler?
I am a successful gambler. But make no mistake about it: I’m a long-time recreational sports bettor. I’m not a professional gambler. I’m not claiming to be a professional gambler. I’ve never, to my recollection, even been acquainted with a professional gambler. And far be it from me to make the preposterous claim that following my advice will turn you into a professional gambler. It ain’t about that. Not here it ain’t. I just want to teach you a new form of recreation, a fun new pastime in what can sometimes be an unfun life.