A lucky Kenyan man, Samuel Abisai has won more than $2million (£1.5m) for correctly predicting 17 football matches in a competition run by betting company SportPesa. The payout is set to be one of the biggest in Africa.
A statement from SportPesa says its CEO Ronald Karauri called the winner who was already celebrating.
The CEO advised the winner, who was screaming, to end his night out, to which he said, ‘I’m going home right away’. ”
It also said the winner placed $2 on two mega jackpot picks in which he had to predict the outcomes of 17 games selected by SportPesa.
He plans to give some of his winnings back to society, including supporting his local football team in the western region of Kakamega.
“I think I am not going to bet again,” Mr Abisai told journalists in Nairobi.
The company’s boss Ronald Karauri led a convoy, including a stretch limousine, to pick up Mr Abisai from his home in the small town of Thika 45km (27 miles) north-east of the capital, Nairobi. It had to navigate a large pothole just outside his home.
The father of one daughter works for a Chinese company and speaks fluent Mandarin. He has not decided whether he will quit his job.
The payout is reportedly one of the biggest ever paid in Kenya.
The average salary of a civil servant in Kenya is about $150 per month.
Kenyans are the biggest gamblers in sub-Saharan Africa. Three-quarters of 17-to-35-year-olds in Kenya admit to having placed a bet, according to a recent survey.
The betting industry is rapidly growing across Africa.
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