Nairobi Moves to Tighten Betting Rules with New County Bill
A new bill introduced in Nairobi aims to significantly reshape the regulation of betting, lotteries, and gaming activities in the city. If passed, operators and landlords involved in unauthorized public gaming could face fines of up to KES 1 million or five years in prison.
New Oversight Body Proposed
The Nairobi City County Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act, 2023, introduced by Ngara MCA Chege Mwaura, calls for the creation of a new regulatory authority, the Nairobi City County Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Control Board. This board would be tasked with overseeing licensing, compliance, and monitoring of all gambling-related activities within county boundaries.
A central provision of the bill prohibits the operation of gaming premises near sensitive areas such as schools, religious institutions, and residential estates. Any person who owns, rents, or allows the use of such a premise for public gaming without a license could face severe penalties.
“Close to 80 per cent of the betting in Kenya is happening in Nairobi — that is why we are pushing for more public participation this time round, to make the betting companies be compelled to offer psychosocial support to the societies they operate in,” Mwaura said.
Crackdown on Informal Sector Gaming
The bill outlines specific regulations for gaming machines and totalisator premises, with a particular focus on operations in informal settlements. One of the goals is to control the spread of unlicensed gambling while simultaneously helping the county generate revenue and create employment opportunities.
A notable feature of the proposed law is its punitive approach toward unregulated activity. It explicitly states that individuals who permit the use of premises for public gaming without proper licensing “commit an offence” and may be subject to a fine not exceeding KES 1 million, imprisonment for up to five years, or both.
Recommended