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Regulators in Kenya concerned about growing popularity of online gambling

Mobile phones are allowing ordinary Kenyans to try their luck on sports gambling.

A billboard advertising a popular sports betting site is seen along a highway in Nairobi, on November 8, 2017.
A billboard advertising a popular sports betting site is seen along a highway in Nairobi, on November 8, 2017.
ONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Images

Some of the biggest fans of American basketball and English football’s Premier League are located thousands of miles away in Kenya, where a sports betting craze is quickly spreading.

Using only their phones, people are able to place small bets on matches happening around the world. But regulators in the region are worried about the impact gambling is having on young people and the poor.

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Gambling on sports is getting more popular in Kenya - Marketplace