The world of online betting is often riddled with disputes, and one such case involves Nelson Kipkogei Melly and the popular betting company, Betika.
Mr. Melly claims to have won a substantial sum of Sh 477,590, but Betika is refusing to award him his winnings.
In a response letter to Mr. Melly’s lawyers, Betika confirmed his win but brought attention to his subsequent actions on their online betting platform.
The Winning Claim
Betika acknowledged that Mr. Melly had indeed won Sh 477,590 after placing virtual bets on October 16, 2023, and the winnings were credited to his Betika wallet.
However, it was Mr. Melly’s actions following his win that became the center of the dispute.
Mr. Melly’s Actions
According to Betika, Mr. Melly proceeded to use the auto-play feature, selecting 20 rounds with a stake of Sh 20,000 per round on the game “Aviator.”
This amounted to a cumulative stake of Sh 400,000. It’s important to note that the auto-play feature can only be activated by a customer who specifies the number of rounds and the stake amount, and it also offers a stop-loss feature to promote responsible gambling by allowing players to set limits for potential losses.
Betika’s Timeline
At 9:01 AM, after the auto-play rounds, Mr. Melly withdrew Sh 70,000, followed by an additional withdrawal of Sh 7,500 at 9:03 AM, transferring funds from his Betika wallet to his Mpesa account.
Betika’s argument is that this sequence of actions demonstrates Mr. Melly’s awareness of the game mechanics, including the auto-play feature, and his account activity and balance.
Betika’s Position
Betika firmly stands by its position that Mr. Melly utilized all his winnings of Sh 477,500 as explained above, and therefore, no further winnings were due to him.
This position was allegedly communicated to Mr. Melly via phone call from their customer care on October 16, 2023, but he did not accept the situation.
Betika concludes by stating that they reserve their legal rights in this matter, and any legal action will be strongly defended at Mr. Melly’s risk of costs and other incidentals arising from the suit.
Past Legal Disputes
This is not the first time that Betika has found itself entangled in legal disputes regarding bet winnings.
In August 2023, Mr. David Juma won a case against Betika, in which the company was ordered to pay him his Sh 500,000 jackpot winnings.
Betika had initially claimed that Mr. Juma had predicted seven out of eight matches, thus disqualifying him from receiving the winnings.
However, Mr. Juma was able to provide evidence that he had correctly predicted all eight matches in February 2023.
Betika was also ordered to cover the costs of the suit and any interests arising from the date the jackpot was to be paid.
The ongoing dispute between Nelson Kipkogei Melly and Betika serves as a reminder of the complexities and potential pitfalls that can arise in the world of online betting.
It is essential for both bettors and betting companies to understand
the rules and regulations that govern their interactions to avoid such disputes and ensure a fair and transparent gaming experience.
As this case unfolds, it will be interesting to see how it is ultimately resolved and what implications it may have for the broader betting industry.
