Kenyan betting firms that continue targeting gamblers who have barred themselves from wagering now risk losing their operating licenses, under regulations that took effect after being gazetted on June 29, 2026.
The Gambling Control (Conduct of Gambling Operations) Regulations, 2026 require operators to build automated systems that reject deposits from self-excluded punters and prohibit sending them promotional messages during a minimum six-month exclusion period that cannot be shortened. The regulations state that a licensee who accepts a wager from a self-excluded person shall be liable to suspension or revocation of licence for repeated violations.
The rules form part of a broader six regulation package issued under the Gambling Control Act, 2025, which replaced the six decade old Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) with the newly empowered Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA). Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku said the reforms seek to address growing risks in the industry while strengthening consumer protection, regulatory oversight and market integrity.
Among the most significant additions is a provision letting family members petition the GRA to bar relatives showing signs of gambling addiction, even without the gambler’s own request. The Authority also plans a central monitoring system to track player behaviour across all licensed platforms in real time, flagging patterns that may indicate addiction and enabling account suspensions or counselling referrals.
The Act goes further than self-exclusion alone: it bars operators from offering credit or using free bets, bonuses and cashback offers to lure vulnerable individuals into higher risk betting, and requires a monthly levy of up to 1% of gross gaming revenue to fund addiction research and treatment.
The stakes are high for an industry central to Kenyan life. An estimated 13% of active gamblers in Kenya show signs of addiction, one of the highest rates in Africa, and a 2024 Central Bank of Kenya survey found urban gamblers spent an average of Sh2,125 monthly on betting, against Sh1,481 in rural areas. Existing license holders now have a 60-day transitional window to apply under the new regime or risk losing their footing in a market estimated at over KSh 200 billion annually.
