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Kenyan gamblers lose big with Donald Trump win

By COLLINS OMULO November 10th, 2016 1 min read

Gamblers on Wednesday lost vast sums of money following the election of Donald Trump as US president.

Two betting firms said many Kenyans placed bets on Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Beting Kenya and mCheza declined to reveal the amounts involved.

Betin Kenya had odds of 1.28 for a Clinton victory and a mouthwatering odds of 5.5 for a Trump win, probably informed by the view that the Republican was seen as a dark horse in the race to succeed President Barack Obama.

MCheza, on the other hand, gave Trump’s win an odd of 3.40 before the voting began while Clinton was given 1.28.

Other candidates were given an odd of 80 to clinch the presidency.

A customer care agent at mCheza, only identified as Tabitha, said the company had odds as early as November 4 and they kept fluctuating in the lead to the November 8 election date.

“I remember the odds for Trump winning on November 4 was 3.0, which increased to 3.4 on Monday. Clinton’s odd was 1.28,” she said.

A shift supervisor at Betin Kenya said many people placed stakes on Clinton.

Kenyans are known for their penchant for football betting but with some American pollsters offering predictions of a Clinton win, it was too good to let pass.