BCLB plans new tougher rules to control gambling
By Mercy Mwai, July 16, 2025The government, through the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB), has proposed strict measures to control gambling in the country that will henceforth require an individual who wants to register as a gambler to take photos of themselves carrying their Identity cards to prove that they are of the right age.
The proposed measures, if passed into law, will also involve small-scale betting shops (Muaka) being required to have a minimum capital investment of Ksh50 million, while gaming operators such as casinos will be required to have Ksh5 billion.
At the moment, the application fees amount to Ksh10,000, with annual license fees ranging between Ksh400,000 for small operators and up to Ksh1 million for larger firms.
BCLB Director Peter Mbugi told MPs who sit in the Departmental Committee on Finance and Planning, chaired by Molo MP Kimani Kuria, that they had come up with the new requirement because they had noted that minors were using their parents’ identity to access betting sites.
Mbugi, who was responding to questions relating to betting in the country, further said that the board is seeking to introduce stricter licensing conditions, including higher capital requirements and tighter operational standards, to curb easy market entry by betting firms.
He argued that the said conditions are aimed at reducing the number of betting companies, which in 2024 increased to 236.
This, he said on the day he disclosed that the Communications Authority of Kenya had flagged down an additional 106 gambling websites in the past one year.
He said: “Gambling activity in the world today is online. It is no longer brick and mortar. Given this scenario, therefore, and with the advent of artificial intelligence, use of crypto among other developments, deployment of adequate technology is the only sure way to adequately monitor and effectively regulate the industry while carrying out public sensitisation on harmful effects of gambling with a view of enhancing responsible gambling behaviour.”
And added: “The Board therefore aspires to have a well-regulated gaming industry that can guarantee- Public protection, Optimal Revenue generation, Responsible gambling, Investment growth and Development of the Gaming Industry in Kenya. These aspirations can be achieved by providing the requisite deployment of technology, Continuous human capital development and adequate funding. The Gambling Control Bill is before you on July 22, 2025. Kindly pass it into law.”
In his presentation, Mbugi supported the new proposals, saying that it will reduce the number of operators as firms will be required to show access to at least Ksh200 million in capital, while national lottery operators could face a Ksh200 million threshold as well.
According to him, the presence of offshore websites offering unauthorised gambling products has added an extra challenge in the industry, exposing punters to unregulated gambling activity, and thus insisted on the need to increase the war against illegal gambling.
He explained that the reason behind the new laws is that the existing laws, including the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act of 1966, are outdated and that the sector has largely been operating under outdated legal provisions and standard operating procedures.
He said: “The board is operating under a law that was enacted in 1966 to govern modern-day business enterprises.”
He added: “Gambling is a demerit good just like alcohol and tobacco, and consumption must be controlled. Gambling has the ability to harm the consumer if taken in excess, as it may lead to addiction with serious consequences for an individual.”