The Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) of Kenya is brewing a series of new regulatory rules, proposing that gamblers submit a selfie during account registration to verify identity, and significantly raising the operational threshold for gambling, aimed at curbing underage gambling and rectifying industry disorder.
BCLB Director Peter Mbugi formally submitted the proposal to the National Assembly's Finance and Planning Committee, emphasizing that the new rules will limit speculative gambling behavior and promote a more responsible participation culture.
According to the proposed draft, all first-time registered gamblers will have to undergo identity verification by uploading a selfie. This requirement is mainly to address the increasingly severe issue of underage gambling. In addition to strengthening player verification, BCLB also proposes to significantly increase the minimum capital required for gambling company licenses, raising the entry threshold and compressing the living space of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Specifically, the minimum capital for small betting stations must reach 50 million shillings (about 330,000 euros), while casinos and other public gambling enterprises must have registered capital of up to 5 billion shillings (about 33 million euros); the minimum capital requirements for national lotteries and online gambling operators are also raised to 200 million shillings (about 1.3 million euros).
Mbugi stated that these reforms are intended to reduce the number of non-compliant and short-term profit-seeking companies in the market. He added that BCLB, in cooperation with the Kenya Communications Authority, has recently shut down 106 unlicensed online gambling sites.
At the same time, advertising regulation is also being strengthened. Mbugi revealed that all gambling advertisements must be approved by the Kenya Film Classification Board in the future and restrict their broadcast time on television, classified as suitable only for adults and only playable during non-prime time.
This bill still needs the president's signature to become law. However, it is evident that the Kenyan government has taken decisive steps to reshape its gambling ecosystem, ensuring the industry is more transparent, regulated, and safe.
