Kenya is entering a period of a major overhaul of the regulatory framework for the gambling and gaming industry. The Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) is rolling out an updated licensing and oversight system that will cover both land-based venues and digital platforms.

🏆 Breaking It Down

All operators are required to bring their operations into full compliance with the new requirements by the end of the current licensing cycle in June 2026.

On February 28, authority for oversight of the gambling industry officially shifted from the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) to the Gambling Regulatory Authority. This marked a shift away from the long-standing framework that had been in place for many years toward a more centralized model.

For market participants, the change of regulator means not merely a formal transfer of functions, but a fundamental overhaul of how licences are issued and overseen.

📌 What You Need to Know

The GRA is restructuring licensing procedures so that oversight of both segments, land-based and digital, is carried out within a unified system. Previously, oversight of online operators remained fragmented, creating tangible enforcement gaps.

The new approach assumes, that transparency and accountability requirements will be equally strict regardless of the operator’s operating format.

A separate strand of the reform has been a plan to expand GRA’s mandate to include closer scrutiny of gambling revenues. At present, this function falls within the remit of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), but the regulator intends to obtain the capability to independently monitor financial flows.

The initiative is being positioned as part of sweeping changes aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in a sector showing sustained growth.

Kenya’s gambling industry is indeed highly profitable, especially in the online sector. The number of new players continues to rise, in part thanks to active marketing. In addition, players are attracted by the ability to play 24/7 — at the same time, players from Kenya, Norway, Canada, and Australia can be on the online portal.

At the same time, at the moment most online casinos in Kenya are in a “grey” zone, which means that the country’s citizens are left without access to legal remedies. The new rules are expected to address this problem.

📰 Source: NairobiWire Sports