Gambling regulation
Gambling in the country:
Licensing
Local License:
BCLB
Population growth:
Internet users:
Urbanization:
Urbanization - 29.5%
Languages in the country:
Swahili - 100%
English - 30%
Age structure:
0-14 years - 35.8%
15-64 years old - 60.9%
65 years and older - 3.4%
Middle age:
Total - 21.2
Men - 21.1
Women - 21.4
Literacy:
Total - 82.6%
Men - 85.5%
Women - 79.8%
Real GDP:
2021 - $284.129 billion.
2022 - $297.9 billion.
2023 - $314.063 billion.
Real GDP growth:
2021 - 7.59%.
2022 - 4.85%.
2023 - 5.43%.
GDP per capita:
2021 - $5,400
2022 - $5,500.
2023 - $5,700
Top brands in the country
Top 20 iGaming Brands (October 2024):
(search volume in parentheses)
Top payment systems
M-Pesa is the most popular mobile money transfer service in the country. It also allows users to make deposits at retail outlets, from where the funds can be transferred to BCs and casinos
Слоты по доли рынка
Affiliates receiving traffic
More about gambling regulation
According to the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB), more than 80% of gambling in Kenya is done online and since the gambling industry mainly exists on the internet, this has encouraged active market penetration by offshore operators.
BCLB has admitted that it cannot yet effectively combat the growing shadow market, as it needs more funding and updating of outdated legislative norms for iGaming to effectively monitor and regulate the sector. It is known that the latest innovation in the laws for gambling in the country was an increase in taxes for operators.
Fight against illegal aliens
From 2022, the government is cracking down on operators without a license. Fines and prison sentences are envisaged.
Also, in May 2025, the regulator banned gambling advertising, including television and radio, outdoor advertising, digital platforms and social media, and sponsorship of sporting events.
About blocking and liability
High
Legislation:
BCLB tightened rules; temporary advertising bans, plans to raise fines
The activity of the authorities:
High
Risk of harassment of non-residents:
Medium
The risk in entering the country:
Low/Medium
Risk of extradition to the country:
Low
Precedents (against non-residents):
No/limited
Comment on the level of risk:
Kenya recently imposed a 30-day moratorium on advertising and is now tightening regulation; promoting offshore sites can lead to blocking and fines. Be wary of media advertising and influencers. The risk of extradition to the country is low, requests are rare.
Blask.com data - index and top brands
Indicates the aggregate level of engagement and interest in all brands in a country. This indicator serves as a barometer for the iGaming industry and combines various indicators to give an overview of trends and changes in the market.
Top brands in the country according to the Blask.com service
| Betika | 31.81% |
| GameMania | 17.9% |
| Odibets | 12.46% |
| MozzartBet | 6.88% |
| SportPesa | 5.89% |
*BAP (Brand's Accumulated Power) - accumulated brand power, reflects the brand's share of consumer interest in the online gambling market. The relative presence of a brand in a country. The BAP graph is presented below:
Data for the section is provided by the analytical service Blask.com.. At the moment, the service's database contains information on more than 80+ countries and more than 2500 brands.
Gambling in the country
Kenya is one of the most promising and technologically advanced online gambling markets in Africa. The country with a population of about 55 million and 64.9% mobile internet penetration has become the region's third largest market after South Africa and Nigeria.
Key Figures
The population of the country is about 60 million, with an average age of 20 years - the country has a high birth rate and many young people. The overall literacy rate (ability to read and write) among young people (15-24 years old) is 85.9%
Religion: Christianity - practiced by about 85% of the population
Major citiesNairobi (capital), Mombasa, Nakuru, Riuru, Eldoret.
Currency: Kenyan shilling (KES).
Gambling in Kenya is predominantly sportsbetting, targeting a young audience.
What's most often bet on
More than 63% of the population lives below the poverty line. Also 14% are in extreme poverty. The average wage is about $384
Kenya is a multi-ethnic society with over 40 ethnic groups. Each ethnic group follows its own traditions. For example, many people in the country still believe in shamans and spirits
English is the official language and Swahili is the national language. In urban areas, people mostly speak English or Swahili, while in rural areas indigenous languages predominate
Kenyans practice traditional values of humility, caring for their neighbors and maintaining kinship ties. In general, Kenyan culture is very communal in nature
iGaming is legal in the country and is regulated by the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB). However, the authorities plan to dissolve the board and create a new organization called the Gambling Regulatory Authority to better control the sector and fight against youth ludomania
The sphere is regulated by law Betting, Lotteries, and Gaming Act (1966) and new Gambling Control Bill (2023).
Kenya has a very high internet penetration rate for the African continent at 40.8%. Also in 2023, mobile internet penetration is almost 32.7%
As of 2024, Kenya has about 58.3 million registered mobile connections. The proportion of the population with mobile Internet access is projected to increase steadily between 2024 and 2029 at an annual growth rate of 9.8%
Popular Web Applications: Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram. The number of Facebook users is steadily growing: by 2027, it will reach almost 20 million (age of users from 18 to 34 years old).
WhatsApp is considered to be the second largest service. There were 7.9 million users in 2023 and the estimated growth rate between 2024 and 2028 is almost 80%.
Sports betting (soccer, cricket, rugby, running, basketball and tennis) dominates the gambling market in Kenya, with around 40% bettors placing online bets daily. In gambling, users favor poker, blackjack, roulette and slots.
It is important to say that Kenya leads the region in the number of young gamblers. More than 84% young people (18-25 years old) spend much more on gambling (often young people prioritize gambling instead of studying at university or looking for a job, hoping for quick and easy earnings) than their peers in other African countries (in Nigeria, 78% young people participate in iGaming, and in South Africa - about 74%).
Kenya has high tax rates for operators: 15% gross gaming revenue tax, 30% corporate income tax, 16% income tax, 20% tax on each winning bet and 12.5% excise tax. It is also stipulated that 30% shares of any gambling business registered in the country must be owned by Kenyan citizens. Moreover, the business must transact with a Kenyan bank.
Such «punitive taxation» is unlikely to attract new companies to the country's legal sector: already more than 10 sports betting operators have left the Kenyan market this year.
In addition, the country's outdated laws are inadvertently contributing to the growth of the black market. Key gambling adjustments were based on the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act of 1966, which does not address the online sector.
Gambling regulation
Gambling in the country:
Licensing
Local License:
BCLB
About the population of the country
Official Language:
English, Swahili
Believers:
94 %
Second Religion:
Basic information about the country
Name of country:
Kenya
Code (2-digit):
KE
Continent:
Africa
Capital:
Nairobi
Area of the country:
582,650 square kilometers.
Phone Code:
254
Currency (currency code):
Kenya Shilling (KES)
Geographical features of the country
Province (8): Eastern, Western, Nairobi, Nyanza, Coastal, Rift Valley, North Eastern, Central.
The modern territory of the country was partially or fully occupied by the states: Portuguese Empire, British Empire (now Great Britain).
Kenya has access to lakes: Victoria, Rudolph (Turkana), Naivasha, Baringo.
Kenya owns the islands: Pate, Manda, Lamu.
Mountains within the country: Kenya, Elgon, Satima, Kinangop, Nakugen, Mtelo, Nyiro, Longonot, Poror, Lamwiya, Olkaria, Suswa, Silali, Menengai, Marsabit, Paka.
Volcanoes are present in the area: Teleki.
Famous caves in the country: Grote de Levitan.
Discussions on country characteristics
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