Kenya’s High Court has allowed the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya (GRAK) to begin implementing and enforcing the contested Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations, 2026, including collection of the disputed new fees, while a legal challenge against the rules remains unresolved.
The ruling varied an earlier order issued on August 7, 2026 that had suspended implementation and enforcement of the new licensing fees imposed on bookmakers, casinos and other gaming operators. According to reporting on the case, GRAK had applied for the change after arguing that the fee suspension had effectively halted processing of new license applications.
The revised fee structure represents a dramatic increase from previous charges. Under the new regulations, the online bookmaker license fee rises to Sh50 million from Sh200,000, while the application fee for an online bookmaker climbs to Sh5 million from Sh10,000. Land-based bookmaker renewal fees increase to Sh2.5 million from Sh5,000, and casino license fees jump to Sh120 million from Sh7 million. Petitioners have noted that the fee increases range from roughly 200% to as much as 49,900%.
The case stems from a petition filed by Thomas Buckley Opar Owuor and Ken Brance, who are challenging the legality of the regulations, particularly the sharp fee increases affecting bookmakers, lotteries, casinos, bingo operators, totalizators and pool betting firms, while also questioning the Cabinet Secretary’s authority to make the regulations. The government has defended the rules as necessary to operationalize the Gaming Control Act.
Justice William Musyoka had earlier, on August 7, maintained a partial freeze specifically on the fee increases and gambling capital requirements while allowing other parts of the regulations to proceed, according to legal analysis of the ruling. The latest order goes further, confirming and expanding an ex parte order issued on August 13 that lets the fees take effect during the litigation, with costs of the application to be determined based on the outcome of the main case.
The substantive case is set to be mentioned in court again on September 21, 2026, with a full judgment on the regulations’ validity expected in October.
