Kenya suspends betting license renewals in get-tough approach

Kenya’s government is making good on its threat to suspend the licenses of gambling operators that fall short of their compliance requirements.

On Monday, Kenyan media reported that the country’s Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) had postponed renewing the operational licenses of 13 casinos, six lotteries and eight sports betting firms. The BCLB also declined to renew the licenses of 19 betting operators pending security vetting of their operations and ownership.

The identities of the targeted operators have yet to be disclosed but the BCLB issued a statement saying it “shall not hesitate to debar non-compliant operators in any category.” The BCLC also announced that all licensees will now face a quarterly review to confirm their compliance with Kenya’s tough new gambling rules.

In May, Kenya unveiled its new Gaming Bill 2019, which includes increased regulatory fees, minimum bet limits and local ownership requirements. The government previously announced that any gambling licensee deemed to have outstanding tax obligations would face suspension of their license as of Monday, July 1.