Kenya's parliament is currently deliberating a proposal aimed at comprehensively reforming the national gambling regulatory system, key contents include raising the legal gambling age from 18 to 21, and setting the minimum bet amount for all platforms at 50 Kenyan shillings (approximately $0.39).
The proposal originates from the "2023 Gambling Control Bill" (National Assembly Bill No. 70), which is currently under discussion in the parliament. Legislators state that the purpose of the amendment is to curb gambling addiction among teenagers and combat the growing irresponsible behavior in the gambling industry.
The new bill also proposes establishing stricter licensing thresholds and enhancing control over gambling advertisements, particularly prohibiting broadcasting promotions to teenagers outside of "watershed periods." Additionally, gambling operators found allowing minors to participate will face penalties.
To strengthen the identity verification mechanism, the director of the Kenya Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB), Peter Mbugi, stated that users will need to upload a selfie with their ID card during platform registration as a verification method.
Beatrice Elachi, a member of parliament from Dagoretti North, criticized the current gambling industry for being too tempting for the youth: "Today's young people even struggle to get 50 shillings, we should not encourage them to make a living through gambling." Kimani Ichung’wa, a member from Kikuyu, expressed: "We must enact strict laws to stop irresponsible gambling behavior."
Although gambling has been legal in Kenya since 1966 and is regulated by the "Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act" (BLGA), the rapid growth of online gambling platforms presents greater regulatory challenges for the government. Earlier this year, the BCLB already implemented a 30-day temporary ban on gambling advertisements to address the issue of advertisement proliferation.
It is important to note that the bill has not yet been officially passed, and before entering the final legislative process, it still requires public hearings and consultations with stakeholders.
