In the wealthier countries, it is almost inconceivable to imagine punters placing bets via a Short Messaging Service (SMS) or text betting. Instead, punters are more likely to log into the betting website or download the many Android and iOS betting apps.
These countries have a of number factors going for them. They have a high internet penetration, high smartphone penetration and high literacy rates. The majority of the population have easy accessibility to smartphones and betting apps and use these as the default medium with which to wager their bets.
The terrain is a lot different in the developing countries where there is typically low internet penetration and low smartphone penetration. Sometimes, even people with smartphones may lack the savviness to use mobile apps to keep up with many odds and offers from the bookmakers. In these countries, it makes good sense to provide SMS betting or text betting services that many punters find more intuitive to use.
SMS betting may sound archaic and cumbersome, but it is easier to get a handle of by users who are already only too familiar with using the various USSD codes to access services from their mobile service providers. Betting via SMS also allows sports punters to easily place bets even where there is no internet connection. Data is expensive in Kenya but SMS is extremely cheap. A 24-hour 1GB data subscription costs at least Ksh.99 or $0.99. That means to maintain a constant data connection throughout the month, a punter may have to spend on average Ksh.3000 or $30 per month. On the other hand, one SMS costs Ksh.1 per SMS or $0.01 per SMS on Kenya’s leading carrier Safaricom. With SMS bundles, punters can pay way below this rate. SMS betting in Kenya is therefore incredibly cheap. Besides, some sportsbooks such as Betsafe allow you to place your bets totally free!
Besides, mobile carriers offer airtime credit extension facilities such as Okoa Jahazi that enable punters to get credit and place bets even when they don’t have airtime. Thanks to these advantages, many betting companies in Kenya are now offering local punters SMS betting options via simple text messaging.
How to Bet with SMS on Betsafe
Betsafe provides a fairly simple text betting that doesn’t even include Game IDs! Most SMS betting in Kenya must include a Game ID along with the pick and the amount you are wagering. With Betsafe, you simply SMS your selection along with the stake to 23333 and the bet is placed automatically. This is a less fiddlier process that allows you to place text bets with relative ease.
Betsafe has revolutionized text betting in Kenya and even allows you to place bets via Telegram through its official Telegram channel in Kenya. Betsafe even allows you to send your SMS bets to 23333 totally FREE. You won’t pay any charges! To send text bets on Betsafe, register by texting BETSAFE to 23333. You can also use this to register on the Betsafe Kenya Telegram channel. Deposit your betting money to Betsafe via its Paybill Number 7290099 and proceed to text your selection and amount to wager.
An example, of a single Betsafe bet is 400 Chelsea Win.
An example of a Betsafe multi bet can be as follows:
500 Everton and Arsenal to Win,
Chelsea-Southampton over 2.5 goals
