Football fan wins Sh29M in jackpot

George Mwangi is all smiles as he fields questions from journalists on September 22nd, 2015 after he won Sh29.5 million in the SportPesa jackpot. PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • Donning a dark grey suit, light pink shirt and a marching tie, the bespectacled former Barclays Bank employee easily cracked jokes but attributed his win to divine intervention and hard work.
  • Mwangi was honest enough to admit that his addiction for playing bets did not go down well with his spouse Jennifer, who at one time gave him a tongue lash but on Sunday, when SportPesa broke the good news, it was his better-half who screamed the loudest.
  • Mwangi becomes the third winner of the Jackpot after Paul Wainaina, who bagged Sh8.9 million in March while in July, 2014, Andrew Mghanga took home Sh5.3 million.

For 50 year old George Mwangi, falling in love with football has turned out to be the best investment he has ever made.

From his tender age, he had always been fascinated by the beautiful game, but he did not know when the rewards would come.

However, four months ago marked the turning point when he was introduced to sports betting by his nephew.

Mwangi, then, was running his business in Githurai and caught up with nephew busy placing bets on SportPesa — an online sport betting platform and from then on, he became hooked to it.

He tried his luck for four and a half months and on Sunday, lady luck smiled on him when he won the SportPesa Jackpot — Sh29.5 million after getting all the predication of the 13 games right.

And on Tuesday, a calm and collected Mwangi could not hide his joy as he was presented with his cheque at a city hotel flanked by family members and a battery of journalists who were all over him with prodding questions.

Donning a dark grey suit, light pink shirt and a marching tie, the bespectacled former Barclays Bank employee easily cracked jokes but attributed his win to divine intervention and hard work.

“My emotions were drained in the last 30 minutes (of the Sunday games). I kept holding my breath but I thank God; I’m a very prayerful man,” he said.

“Its’ about commitment and hard work; studying the probability of a team; winning or losing is quite hard and it’s not about guess work,” he said.

“I take three hours to analyse each game placed for betting, I take my time to do research cumulatively,” he said.

Mwangi who has business interests in real estate and furniture also took time to pay tribute to his nephew who introduced him to the life changing game.

“Ever since my nephew introduced me to this (betting) four and a half months ago, I’ve been playing. ‘I’ve enjoyed the game but I don’t think I’m going to do it again,” he said, sending the room roaring into laughter as he explained the efforts he put to emerge the winner and became the envy of many.

“It’s a lot of money, I’ve gone through a lot of tough times but it was my time,” he added.

Mwangi was honest enough to admit that his addiction for playing bets did not go down well with his spouse Jennifer, who at one time gave him a tongue lash but on Sunday, when SportPesa broke the good news, it was his better-half who screamed the loudest.

“At times, she would ask: ‘unafanya hiyo kitu tena?’ (You are placing a bet again), but I’m sure it was all for a worthy cause,” he said.

So what does he plan to do with a whopping 29.5 million?

“I’m not scared about the money, but it’s a lot. It will change my life. I was constructing a house; I had done the slab and I will now complete it. I have plans for my kids and for society,” the father of three who confesses to be a die-hard Gor Mahia and Manchester United fan said.

“I’ll give some of the money for worthy cause. God has been great and I will support his work. I’ve also been giving to Gor and life doesn’t change now that I’ve won,” said Mwangi.

For the ex-banker, it’s a big win having spent about Sh50, 000 on bets for the four and a half months he tried his luck.

At the end of the day, it his knowledge of the game, good research involving technical aspects, team records, injuries of players and their disciplinary records that made him stand above the rest.

And for this, he soars high in the game of chances. Whereas others like him smile all the way to the bank, several others count losses and are left heart-broken after failing to get their predictions right.

Mwangi becomes the third winner of the Jackpot after Paul Wainaina, who bagged Sh8.9 million in March while in July, 2014, Andrew Mghanga took home Sh5.3 million.

Speaking at the same venue, SportPesa Chief Executive Ronald Karuri said: “We set shop in February 2014, and we have continued to grow. Today, we not only place bets on football but other sports as well. We have credibility and that is what has kept us going.”

As Mwangi will be pondering on how to invest his fortune, life has completely changed for Wainaina, who won the jackpot in March.

From a water vendor, today Wainaina is an established businessman who owns a lorry which he uses as well as a fleet of three cars for hire. Besides, he has opened a salon for his wife.

“I have begun a lot of projects… I still run a water vendor business. I drive the lorry myself and have bought three parcels of land of which I plan to develop,” he said adding that he had had also ‘built a decent house for myself in Ruiru’.

Wainaina says that he hasn’t stopped betting and is hoping that he will win the jackpot once again.

Meanwhile, SportPesa has awarded 17-year old Andrew Kisilu a fully paid-for scholarship for higher education.

The Form Four candidate at Aquinas Secondary School in Nairobi landed the scholarship after emerging as the Most Promising Player in the SportPesa sponsored Super Eight tournament that was held in Nairobi.