- Puntland parliamentarians are raising urgent concerns about the widespread use of the 1XBET app for online betting, claiming it is contributing to family breakdowns
- MPs have called for regulatory measures saying telecommunications companies need to work on regulating the app
- Reports say that local telecom firms have admitted they cannot block 1XBET, which allows users to place bets on major football matches using mobile money wallets
Concerns are mounting among Puntland parliamentarians regarding the rampant use of the 1XBET app for online betting, with lawmakers asserting that it is contributing to family breakdowns in the region.
MP Abdiqani Farah Dhaashane voiced alarm over the impact of unregulated online gambling, stating, “Many young people are betting using the 1XBET app.
This contributes to capital flight from Somalia and is also causing family breakdowns. Have telecommunications companies been asked what they could do about this issue?”
In a session addressing the issue, Mohamed Shandi, a member of the Cultural, Media, and Telecommunications Committee, confirmed that local telecommunications firms have expressed their inability to block access to 1XBET.
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The origins of 1XBET trace back to its late founder Sergey Karshkov, a Russian national who passed away in Switzerland in 2023. The platform operates without gambling licenses in major markets such as the UK, USA, and Australia.
According to Puntland Post, the situation echoes a previous report from 2020, which highlighted the operations of Kulan Sports, another online betting app that ceased to exist after local telecom companies halted its betting transactions.
The call for accountability in the burgeoning online gambling industry in Puntland has intensified, raising questions about its social and economic implications.