The government, through the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) has barred Milestone Games Limited from using Sportpesa tradename in Kenya.
The board claims that the company's use of the Sportpesa trademark was a violation of regulatory protocols.
The company sought approval from the agency as Milestone Bet.
BCLB addressed a letter to Milestone Games Limited date on October 30 barring Sportpesa from using the tradename and indicating a pending court case on the matter.
The board highlighted that the rebranding of Milestone Games Limited to Sportpesa happened without the betting control agency's consent.
In the letter, the Board’s Chairman Cyrus Maina noted, "We note that Milestone Games Limited has been authorized to use the trademark SportPesa by M/S Sportpesa Global Holdings Limited where else during the 2020/21 financial year renewal application the Board authorised the use of trading name Milestone Bets to yourselves."
Currently, Milestone Games Limited cannot use various domains under Sportpesa such as shortcodes and Pay bill.
According to the BCLB chairman, the tradename Sportpesa belongs to Pevans East Africa Limited and it cannot be transferred.
On Friday through a tweet, SportPesa CEO Ronald Karauri announced the comeback of Sportpesa in the Kenyan market with enthusiasm only to face the major blow by the board in less than 24hours.
He tweeted, "SportPesa is back! I’m happy to announce that the SportPesa brand is back under a new BCLB license holder."
Karauri emphasized that the company will uphold the highest service standards and responsible gaming.
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