Kagwirawo offers friendly changes
Arsenal diehard fan Bebe Cool (2nd R) and journalists get to learn why they will not need anymore Kapapulas during the media launch of Kagwirawo at Club Amnesia last week. Photo by Michael Kakumirizi
What you need to know:
The vice that is sports betting has swept over Uganda and in this poor economy of heavy unemployment, it serves as a worthy fall-back-to odd job as statistics prove, that at least five million Ugandans are involved to-date.
KAMPALA- A stroll downtown Kampala, an early morning visit in a corporates’ office or even the first conversation at your work place, today, is undeniably about the previous night’s matches and what fortune or misfortune they brought to the parties involved.
The sight of hundreds of people from different walks of life with game receipts swarming Betting Houses with anxiety written all over their faces as they seek to know their fate paints both a rosy and ‘resigned-to-fate’ picture in whichever way one may look at the scene.
The vice that is sports betting has swept over Uganda and in this poor economy of heavy unemployment, it serves as a worthy fall-back-to odd job as statistics prove, that at least five million Ugandans are involved to-date.
There are many betting houses doing the same routine where winners pick from one to as many games, place their bets and hope all their predictions come right before they can claim their winnings.
But there is a new-kid-on-the-block in Kagwirawo, which is offering a ‘whole new world’ to sports bettors. Kagwirawo is a Luganda slang word which can loosely be translated as instant. According Dr Innocent Nahabwe, the brainchild of Kagwirawo, the name of the game is simple; ‘instant bet, instant cash’.
“When the game ends you are paid instantly through Mobile Money (MM) on your phone,” says Nahabwe, who calls Kagwirawo the youngest member of the BlueCube Family in Uganda that also has Club Amnesia, Temptation Bar, Galaxy FM and BlueCube Media Solutions.
But why should one abandon his previous betting house for Kagwirawo? “We are unique,” offers Nahabwe.
“You can do it anywhere. We are not limited by location. Imagine someone from deep down in Nalumunye has to inject in transport to place a bet in Nateete, and when they win they have to travel back to get the money. That is a lot of time and money wasted.
“At Kagwirawo, there is no Kapapula. One just has to be with MM on their MTN line. From ministers to lawyers, MPs, pastors and other high caliber personalities that don’t want to be seen associating with gambling and more so in queues waiting for their receipts or winnings, any one take part.”
The way the system is designed all the transactions take place on one’s phone and the identity of clients is not disclosed as winnings are automatically credited on one’s phone as MM received hence the same when placing your bets deductions are shown on your MM account.
And being new in the trade, Kagwirawo has opted to offer the best odds in Uganda as a way of winning over more customers.
“We look at the local rates and then also look at the international ones. Then we find a balance between the two and ensure ours are the best locally. We are one-week old and have so far started with football. But we will incorporate other sports including horse racing, cricket, tennis, formula one and rugby among others to cater for our clients’ needs.”
All one has got to do to compete is TYPE *289*1# and follow the prompts.
“It is as easy as that. The lowest bet is 1,000. In our one week of existence so far, we have paid out Shs20m with the biggest winner scooping Shs927, 000 on Monday night.”
Selected Betting Companies in Uganda
Sports Betting Africa, EliteBet, Royal Sports, Gaming International, Globas Betting, Simba Bet, Wolf Betting, Sports Betting, Gemex Sports, Gal Sports, Premier Betting, Kings Sports, Top Bet, Victory Betting, Lucky Sports, Betting 5, Offside Gaming, Star Betting, Winner Betting, Eldorado, Goal Sports Betting, Raz Betting, Offside Gaming, Offside Bet and Worldstar Betting.
