Before you start: what you need
Three prerequisites before you can bet:
A verified account. Opened with your phone number, your email, and a light KYC verification (ID card or passport). Verification usually takes less than 24h. Without KYC, you can explore the app and use prediction mode (without staking), but not place a real bet.
KTK on your balance. You can deposit money via Mobile Money (instant, no fees), bank card (instant, 1.5%), or USDC (2-5 minutes, 0.5%). Minimum first deposit: 1,000 KTK (≈ 1,500 FCFA). How to deposit money.
A rough idea of what you want to bet on. A soccer match, an election, the Bitcoin price, the Eurovision final… We have a range of themes — sport, crypto, politics, cinema… — with new events opening all the time. You don't need a precise opinion, but you do have to pick an outcome.
Step by step: your first bet in 2 minutes
In the app, here's exactly what you do:
- Open the Ktkarena app and log in.
- Go to the "Arena" tab (the target-shaped icon at the bottom).
- Pick a theme from the horizontal list at the top (Sports, Politics, Crypto…). For example, "Sports".
- Browse the open events. Each event shows its label ("Real Madrid vs Barcelona, Sunday 9 PM"), the betting deadline, and the number of bets in progress on the event.
- Tap the event you're interested in. You see the two outcomes displayed large. For example, "Real Madrid wins" and "Barcelona wins". You also see how many people have already bet on each side.
- Tap the side you choose. You reach the stake screen.
- Pick your tier (Discovery by default for your first bet) and enter your amount in KTK. To start, stake something you can afford to lose - for example 1,000 or 5,000 KTK.
- Tap "Confirm bet". Confirm with your PIN code or your biometrics.
Done. Your bet is now in matching. You now see a screen with an animation and the message "Searching for an opponent…".
The waiting time before matching
In 98% of cases, your opponent is found in less than 5 seconds. You receive a push notification that says: "Match found - your bet on Real Madrid is live."
From that point on, your 5,000 KTK (or whatever you staked) is in escrow. You can't touch it until resolution. Neither can your opponent.
If your bet is very specific (rare tier, niche event, off-peak hours), it may go through the inter-tier cascade or multi-bet aggregation - which takes a few extra seconds, or several minutes in extreme cases. Why my opponent wasn't found immediately.
As long as your bet isn't matched, you can cancel it at any time. 100% of your KTK is refunded. No penalty. How to cancel before matching.
At the end of the event, if your bet hasn't found a P2P opponent, a pool phase gathers the residuals into a mutualized pool - you enter the pool or you are refunded in full depending on your preferences.
After matching: what to do and what not to do
What you can do:
- Follow the event in real time if you want (but it's optional).
- View your opponent's profile (handle only, no personal info).
- Place other bets on other events in parallel.
- Chat in the event chat with other bettors who have staked.
What you can no longer do:
- Modify your bet (neither the amount nor the side). Why you can't modify.
- Cancel without a penalty. You can cancel, but you lose 10 to 20% depending on how close the event is. How to cancel a matched bet.
- Bet on the opposite side of the same event. You'd be betting against yourself. Why it's not allowed.
When the event resolves (the match ends, the election is decided, the deadline passes), you receive an immediate notification. If you won, your winnings reach your wallet within seconds. How long to receive my winnings.