Kenya Slaps Betting Firm with Additional Security Fee of KSh 100m
- Betting firms will pay an additional security fee in the new proposed changes to protect Kenyans from rogue gamblers
- The Gambling Control (Amendment) Bill 2023 proposed changes in the fee from the original KSh 250,000
- The bill, which is under review by lawmakers, will also lock out betting firms that are poorly capitalised
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Wycliffe Musalia has over six years of experience in financial, business, technology, climate, and health reporting, providing deep insights into Kenyan and global economic trends. He currently works as a business editor at TUKO.co.ke.
The government has raised the security fee for online gambling in a move to protect Kenyans.
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According to a joint committee of the Senate and the National Assembly, betting companies will have to pay KSh 100 million in security fees.
What's the change in the betting security fee?
The Betting and Licensing Board (BCLB) had earlier placed the fee at KSh 250,000.
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However, the Gambling Control (Amendment) Bill 2023 proposed an increase of the fee by more than 750,000.
If the lawmakers approve the bill, it will lock out rogue and poorly capitalised firms in the online gambling sector.
How many betting firms are operating in Kenya
The security fee applies to 226 licensed by BCLB to operate in the country for the year 2025.
The money will be used to protect deposits and winnings by punters.
In April 2025, the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) shut down betting sites operating in Kenya without legal licenses.
This was part of a wider plan to kick out illegal operators in the sector that gave Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) KSh 24.2 billion in the year ended June 2024.
What are the new betting guidelines?
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In May 2025, BCLB issued guidelines for gambling and betting advertisements in the country.
BCLB chairperson Jane Mwikali warned that operators and industry players who do not comply will be penalised.
- The following are the BCLB directives:
- Submission of the advert to the board for approval and thereafter forwarded to KFCB for classification.
- Media owners & agencies are to ensure that all gambling advertisements are approved by BCLB and classified by KFCB before being distributed on their channels/platforms.
- All media outlets are to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Media Practices, 2025, before carrying out gambling adverts.
- No form of advertisement will be placed near schools, religious institutions, or places frequently visited by children, such as playgrounds and shopping malls.
- Gambling adverts should not glamourise betting or use celebrities, influencers and content creators to endorse or promote gambling.
- All gambling adverts should indicate the BCLB license number and carry a responsible gambling message, i.e. Gambling is addictive! Play responsibly!
- The advert should contain the words "authorised and regulated by the Betting Control and Licensing Board" displayed/mentioned at all times, and not have a call-to-action message.
- The advert should not associate gambling with celebrities or social success.
- It should not depict gambling as a source of income. Contain the minimum age requirement message: "Not for persons under the age of 18".
- Contain the name and address of the company advertising, and a customer-care number. The advert should not use testimonials from previous gamblers.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
