Betting

How to deposit to 1xBet via M-PESA (paybill 290011)

Paybill 290011 with your 1xBet account ID, the 5% excise that reduces what lands, and how to tell a genuine paybill from a look-alike.

by Arnold Ochieng Reviewed by Michael Mwangi 5 min read Updated 19 October 2026

Gambling is for adults aged 18+ only.

Only play with money you can afford to lose. paybillke does not confirm licences: GRA publishes no register. Check what the operator prints about its licence, and confirm on gra.go.ke before depositing. If gambling is becoming a problem, support is available. Call the GRA helpline on 0800 723 770.

The deposit, step by step

Open the 1xBet app and go to My Account. Copy your numeric account ID.
On your phone, open M-PESA and choose Lipa na M-PESA, then Pay Bill.
Business number: 290011.
Account number: your 1xBet account ID. Digits only.
Enter the amount, then your M-PESA PIN, and confirm.
Read the confirmation SMS. The recipient must be 1XBET KENYA. Keep the transaction code.

Use the account ID, not your phone number

This is the field that decides whether your money lands, and it is worth being precise about because the published guidance is not consistent. Our own 1xBet reference page says the account field takes either the numeric account ID or your registered Safaricom number, and that both route to the wallet. Other sources say only the account ID works and that a phone-number deposit sits in suspense.

We have not resolved that by testing, so we are not going to assert it either way. What is not in dispute is that 1xBet's ledger keys on the account ID. That makes the ID correct under both readings, and the phone number correct under only one. So use the ID. If you have already paid with your phone number and nothing has appeared, open live chat with the M-PESA code, your account ID, and the number you paid from, and ask them to re-allocate it.

Why KES 100 becomes KES 95

Under the Finance Act 2025 there are two flat 5% excise deductions on betting: one on every deposit into a wallet, and one on every withdrawal back to M-PESA. The deposit excise is taken before the credit reaches your 1xBet balance, which is why the number in the app is smaller than the number you sent. It is a national tax, it applies at every licensed operator, and nobody absorbs it.

Two things this is not. It is not the 15% excise on M-PESA transaction fees, which is a different tax on a different base. It is also separate from the 20% withholding tax on winnings, which the Finance Act 2026 brought back from 1 July 2026. The full picture is in our betting tax guide.

If the deposit does not reflect

Log out of the app and back in. The balance often just has not refreshed.
Confirm the recipient name on the M-PESA SMS was 1XBET KENYA.
Check the account field held your account ID rather than something else.
Contact 1xBet live chat with the transaction code, your account ID and the amount.
Do not send a second deposit until the first is traced. Two stuck payments are harder to unpick than one.

On minimum deposits and bonuses

1xBet's own payments page lists the minimum deposit as KES 40 by M-PESA and KES 10 by Airtel Money, both with no 1xBet fee and instant crediting (read 19 October 2026). Other sites quote KES 50, KES 100 or KES 112; those are usually bonus thresholds, which 1xBet sets separately and changes often. Check the bonus terms before depositing for one.

Frequently asked

What is the 1xBet paybill number?

290011. On M-PESA: Lipa na M-PESA, Pay Bill, business number 290011, account = your 1xBet account ID, amount, PIN, confirm. The M-PESA confirmation SMS should name the recipient as 1XBET KENYA.

What do I put in the account field?

Your numeric 1xBet account ID, which is shown in the app under My Account. Some sources say a registered Safaricom number also routes to the wallet, but 1xBet’s ledger keys on the account ID, so the ID is the answer that works either way. Use the ID.

Why did KES 100 arrive as KES 95?

A 5% excise duty is deducted on every betting deposit under the Finance Act 2025. It is a national tax collected at settlement, not a 1xBet charge, and every GRA-licensed operator deducts it. A further 5% applies when you withdraw.

Does the Safaricom paybill fee come out of my deposit too?

No, that one is charged separately at your end, before the money leaves M-PESA. The 5% excise is what reduces the amount credited to the wallet. The two are different charges taken at different points.

How do I know I am paying the real 1xBet paybill?

Read the recipient name on the M-PESA confirmation SMS. It must say 1XBET KENYA. If it names anything else you have paid a look-alike paybill and should call Safaricom on 100 straight away to ask for a reversal. Test with a small deposit before sending a large one.

My deposit has not reflected. What now?

Log out of the app and back in first, because the balance often just has not refreshed. If it is still missing after a few minutes, contact 1xBet live chat with the M-PESA transaction code, your account ID and the amount. Do not send a second deposit until the first is traced.

What is the minimum deposit?

1xBet's own payments page lists the minimum as KES 40 by M-PESA and KES 10 by Airtel Money, with no fees and instant crediting (checked 19 October 2026). The bonus-qualifying minimum can be different, so check the bonus terms before you deposit for one.