Kenyan online sports betting operator SportPesa launched its first TV marketing campaign aimed at the U.K. market, according to Peter Amsel of CALVIN AYRE. Last weekend, SportPesa unveiled the campaign, which is built around the slogan "Take Every Opportunity" and the hashtag #MakeItCount. The spot features former Everton midfielder Leon Osman, former World Boxing Council cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew and former Nigerian footballer Yakubu Ayegbeni. The 30-second spot, which was designed by CSM, "features shots of ordinary joes rising to the occasion across a variety of sports." The spot first aired on BT Sport during Saturday’s Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool, "the latter city being where SportPesa shifted" its U.K. market HQ in '17. The new campaign comes "not long after" SportPesa "received some reassurance regarding operations in its home market." In September, the Kenyan government approved a new 15% gambling tax rate, a "welcome change" from the 35% rate that took effect on Jan. 1 and "temporarily caused SportPesa to scrap its local sports sponsorship deals" (CALVIN AYRE, 11/6).
