Kenya’s gambling sector became fully operational under a new regulatory framework on 1 July 2026, when the Gambling Regulatory Authority opened its first licensing cycle under five newly gazetted regulations. For operators still holding licences issued under the repealed Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act, the practical question is no longer whether the old framework is gone, it clearly is, but what the new rules actually require and how much time remains to comply.
From the Act to operational regulations
The Gambling Control Act, 2025 (Act No. 14 of 2025) was assented to on 7 August 2025 and came into force on 20 August 2025, repealing the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act (Cap. 131) and establishing the Gambling Regulatory Authority as an independent state corporation. The Betting Control and Licensing Board formally transferred authority to the GRA on 28 February 2026. For most of the period since, the Act existed without the subsidiary regulations needed to make its licensing regime operational.
That changed on 30 June 2026, when the GRA gazetted its first five implementing regulations: the Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations, the Gambling Control (Conduct of Gambling Operations) Regulations, the Gambling Control (Foreign-Based Operators) Regulations, the Gambling Control (Advertising) Regulations, and the Gambling Control (Gambling Appeals Tribunal) Regulations, published as Legal Notices 111 to 115. The GRA opened its first licensing cycle under this framework on 1 July 2026.
The 60-day transition deadline
Licences issued under the repealed Cap. 131 framework remain valid for 60 days from 30 June 2026, meaning existing operators have until approximately the end of August 2026 to secure a licence under the new regime. This is not an extension of the earlier transition period that closed with the BCLB-to-GRA handover in February. It is a separate, shorter window created specifically by the new regulations, and it applies to any business still operating under an old-framework licence regardless of how long that licence has left to run on its own terms.
Operators who let this window close without applying face the same consequence as anyone operating without a licence at all: exposure to a fine of up to KES 50 million under the Act, in addition to the GRA’s power to suspend or shut down non-compliant operations.
What the licensing regulations require
The Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations set out separate procedures for casinos, bookmakers, lotteries, online gambling operators, gambling equipment manufacturers, software providers, and key gambling employees, meaning a business supplying software or platforms to licensed operators now needs its own licence even if it never takes a bet directly. Online bookmakers and online casinos each face a licence fee of KES 50 million, online lottery operators face KES 20 million, and these figures sit on top of separate application, renewal, and annual operating fees. Every licence category also requires proof of adequate gambling capital before an application will be processed, with the specific amount for each activity set by the Authority in consultation with the Cabinet Secretary and published by Gazette notice.
Real-time monitoring is no longer optional
The Gambling Control (Conduct of Gambling Operations) Regulations mark the clearest operational shift from the old regime. Operators must now provide the GRA with real-time access through a secure API and integrate directly with the Authority’s Central Monitoring System and the National Gambling Register, so that individual bets, deposits, and payouts are visible to the regulator as they happen rather than through periodic self-reporting. The regulations also require geolocation technology, encrypted audit logs, business continuity measures, and segregated player accounts, so that player funds can never be co-mingled with an operator’s own operational balances. Unless the GRA grants a specific exemption, gambling data must be stored and processed on servers located inside Kenya.
Player protection has been strengthened alongside the technical requirements. Every operator must maintain a responsible gambling policy, verify player age, and participate in a national self-exclusion system.
Advertising now needs prior approval
The Gambling Control (Advertising) Regulations require every gambling advertisement to receive GRA approval before it is published, a materially different standard from the old framework’s after-the-fact enforcement. The regulations prohibit misleading claims, exaggerated winnings messaging, and any advertisement that normalises gambling as a financial solution, and they place special restrictions on advertising near learning institutions and content that could reach minors. Businesses that run marketing campaigns for licensed operators, not only the operators themselves, should treat this as a compliance question that now sits upstream of any creative sign-off.
Foreign-based operators face a distinct regime
The Gambling Control (Foreign-Based Operators) Regulations create a separate licensing track for operators based outside Kenya but serving Kenyan players. These operators must meet a minimum paid-up capital of KES 100 million and post a KES 200 million security bond, in addition to demonstrating compliance with their home jurisdiction’s laws and implementing measures to prevent access to their platforms from within Kenya if they choose not to seek a Kenyan licence at all.
Disputing a GRA decision
The Gambling Control (Gambling Appeals Tribunal) Regulations operationalise the Tribunal the Act itself established, chaired by a person qualified to sit on the High Court and staffed with members appointed by the Judicial Service Commission and the Cabinet Secretary. The Tribunal hears appeals against GRA licensing decisions, disputes arising from gambling transactions, and complaints about gambling machine functionality, with a further appeal from the Tribunal to the High Court available within 14 days of its decision.
What this means in practice
For an operator still trading on an old Cap. 131 licence, the immediate task is not a general compliance review but a specific application under whichever of the five new regulations matches the business’s activity, filed before the 60-day window closes. For a business that supplies technology, software, or advertising services to the sector rather than holding a punter-facing licence itself, the practical question has changed too: several of these regulations now reach up the supply chain in ways the old framework did not.
For tailored legal advice on gambling sector licensing, the transitional application process, or advertising compliance under the new regime, consult our regulatory compliance practice. Our guide to betting, gaming and lotteries licensing in Kenya covers the underlying GRA licence categories in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
I already hold a BCLB-issued licence. Do I need to apply again under the new regulations? Yes. Licences issued under the repealed Cap. 131 framework remain valid only for 60 days from 30 June 2026. Continuing to operate on the old licence after that window closes carries the same exposure as operating without a licence at all.
What happens if I miss the 60-day deadline? The Act provides for a fine of up to KES 50 million for unlicensed operation, and the GRA has the power to suspend or shut down non-compliant activity. There is no indication in the regulations of an automatic extension beyond the 60 days.
Do the advertising rules apply to me if I only run marketing campaigns for an operator, not the gambling business itself? The Advertising Regulations require GRA approval of the advertisement itself before publication, which functions as a compliance step for whoever is producing or placing the advert, not only the licensed operator.
Does the real-time monitoring requirement apply to land-based casinos or only online platforms? The Conduct of Gambling Operations Regulations are framed around gambling activity generally, with the most detailed technical integration requirements (API access, geolocation) specific to online and mobile platforms. Land-based operators should confirm their specific technical obligations against their particular licence category.
Where do I appeal if the GRA refuses or revokes my licence? To the Gambling Appeals Tribunal in the first instance, established under the Act and operationalised by the Gambling Appeals Tribunal Regulations, with a further appeal to the High Court available within 14 days of the Tribunal’s decision.
Reviewed by Clay Odari, Advocate, for legal accuracy prior to publication. This article was researched with AI assistance and independently verified against primary sources before review.
