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Licence guide · Kenya
Kenya betting licence in 2026: from the BCLB to the Gambling Regulatory Authority
Most guides still tell you to apply to the Betting Control and Licensing Board. In 2026 that advice is a year stale. Kenya replaced its 1966 betting law, moved licensing to a new Gambling Regulatory Authority, rewrote the tax base in the Finance Act 2025 and then saw part of the new fee schedule frozen in court. The rules are in motion this very week, so this page is organised as a timeline, then the numbers, then what they mean for your platform.
Who issues the licence now
The Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) licenses betting, casinos, lotteries and online gambling in Kenya under the Gambling Control Act, 2025 (Act No. 14 of 2025). It succeeded the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB), which had regulated the sector under the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act (Cap 131) since 1966.
The GRA assumed office on 30 June 2026 and opened its first licensing cycle under the Gambling Control Regulations, 2026. People still search for "BCLB licence", and older certificates carry the BCLB name, but new applications go to the GRA.
Timeline: how Kenya got here
The transition took roughly fifteen months and one court fight. The dates below are the ones an applicant needs.
Kenya gambling reform timeline, checked 24 September 2026
| Date | Event | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 26 June 2025 | Finance Act 2025 signed | Excise duty moves to 5% on deposits; 5% withholding tax on withdrawals |
| 7 August 2025 | President assents to the Gambling Control Bill | Cap 131 repealed; GRA created |
| Late 2025 to early 2026 | Transition; BCLB suspends annual licence applications | Existing licences continue until expiry |
| 30 June 2026 | GRA takes office; six sets of regulations published | Licensing, conduct, lottery, advertising, appeals tribunal, foreign operators |
| July 2026 | High Court stays the licensing regulations | Petition challenges fees and capital rules |
| Early August 2026 | Stay partly lifted | GRA may receive and vet applications; new fees and capital rules stay suspended |
| 24 September 2026 | Legacy licences expire (per reporting) | Single re-application deadline for all operators |
| 2 October 2026 | Full judgment scheduled | Decides whether the higher fees and capital rules apply |
Licence fees on paper, and what is frozen
The Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations, 2026 multiply the old fees and add a capital test. Until the court rules on 2 October 2026, those amounts are published but suspended.
Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations 2026, as reported by iGaming Afrika and gambling.com, July-August 2026
| Item | Kenyan-based online operator | Foreign-based operator |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | KES 5 million | KES 10 million |
| Licence fee | KES 50 million | KES 100 million |
| Annual fee / renewal | KES 5 million per year | KES 10 million per year; renewal KES 5m + KES 20m |
| Capital | KES 100 million liquid capital | KES 100 million paid-up capital |
| Security bond | Reported up to KES 200 million for online gambling and lotteries | KES 200 million |
| Director vetting | KES 100,000 per local director | KES 200,000 per foreign director |
| Licence term | Three years | Three years |
For comparison, BCLB-era fees were in the order of KES 10,000 to apply and KES 400,000 to KES 1 million a year, as reported in coverage of the court case. The national lottery licence sits in a class of its own at a reported KES 2 billion.
The tax stack after the Finance Act 2025
Kenya taxes betting at three points: the player's deposit, the operator's revenue and the player's withdrawal. The 5% excise figure is correct, but it now applies to deposits, not to stakes.
Kenya betting taxes, checked September 2026
| Tax | Rate | Base | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excise duty | 5% | Amount deposited into a betting or gaming wallet | Excise Duty Act as amended by the Finance Act 2025 (was 15% of the amount wagered) |
| Withholding tax | 5% | Amount withdrawn by the player | Income Tax Act as amended by the Finance Act 2025 (was 20% of net winnings) |
| Betting / gaming tax | 15% | Gross gaming revenue (turnover minus winnings paid) | Kenya Revenue Authority guidance on the 1966 Act, section 29A; remitted monthly |
| Corporate income tax | Standard rate | Taxable profit | Income Tax Act |
Kenyan law firms summarising the new Act also mention county levies and a marketing levy of 6% of advertising spend under the advertising regulations. Confirm the GGR tax treatment under the 2025 Act with a tax adviser; this page is general information, not legal advice.
Conditions that shape the business model
Beyond money, the Act imposes ownership, product and marketing rules that decide whether a foreign-run brand can work in Kenya at all.
- 30% Kenyan shareholding: a licensee must be a company in which Kenyan citizens hold at least 30% of the shares.
- Minimum stake of KES 20 per bet, with penalties up to KES 5 million or two years in prison for breaches.
- Local banking: transactions through Kenyan-registered banks, which in practice means M-Pesa and bank rails onshore.
- Advertising: no gambling ads on TV or radio between 6 am and 10 pm except during live sport, no celebrity endorsements, each campaign approved by the GRA seven days ahead, and 20% of the artwork given to responsible-gambling messaging.
- Player protection: real-time deposit and loss limits, integration with a national self-exclusion register, identity verification, and IP geo-blocking duties for foreign operators.
- Payouts: prizes up to KES 500,000 paid immediately; very large jackpots may be held up to 30 days for verification.
Choosing games and a platform for a Kenyan launch
Kenyan play is mobile, M-Pesa funded and dominated by football and crash games. The regulator cares that the system is certified, geo-controlled and wired to its self-exclusion and limit tools; the catalogue has to follow those rules.
Most brands start with a sports betting API covering the Premier League and local favourites, then add fast casino titles such as Spribe's Aviator, JetX-style crash games and slots from Pragmatic Play, Smartsoft or BGaming through a casino game aggregator API. With the 5% excise on deposits and 5% on withdrawals, keeping players on one balance across sport and casino matters more than ever, which is what a seamless wallet does.
SoftAggregator delivers casino, live casino and sportsbook through one integration, with per-game metadata (category, studio, currencies, market) to filter the lobby, a country parameter that enforces studio restrictions, and a separate getGameDemo launch for free play. KES can run as the player currency, or the site can be locked to one currency; the public API docs show the calls. Catalogue and currencies change continuously; the live list is in the API. Ask each studio for its lab certificates (GLI, BMM, iTech Labs) and whether it holds any approval the GRA requests from suppliers.
Kenya licensing questions from operators
Does the BCLB still issue betting licences in Kenya?
No. The Gambling Control Act 2025 replaced the BCLB with the Gambling Regulatory Authority, which took office on 30 June 2026 and runs licensing from then on.
How much does an online betting licence cost in Kenya in 2026?
The 2026 licensing regulations set KES 5 million to apply and KES 50 million for the licence (KES 10m and 100m for foreign-based operators), valid three years. Those fees and the capital rules were suspended by the High Court pending a judgment due on 2 October 2026.
Is the excise duty on betting in Kenya 5%?
Yes. Since the Finance Act 2025 (signed 26 June 2025), excise duty is 5%, charged on the amount a player deposits into the betting wallet rather than on each stake.
What tax do Kenyan players pay on winnings?
A 5% withholding tax on amounts withdrawn from the betting wallet, replacing the former 20% tax on net winnings.
Can a foreign company get a Kenyan gambling licence?
Only through a company in which Kenyan citizens hold at least 30% of the shares. Foreign-based operators face higher fees and a KES 200 million security bond under the 2026 regulations.
What is the minimum bet in Kenya?
KES 20 per bet under the Gambling Control Act 2025.
How long does a Kenyan licence last?
Three years under the 2026 regulations, instead of the annual renewals of the BCLB era.
Sources and last update
Kenya's rules changed during the writing of this page. Figures below are tied to the publication that reported them; the court judgment of 2 October 2026 may alter the fee table.
- Gambling Control Act, 2025 (Act No. 14 of 2025), Kenya Law, assented 7 August 2025
- Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations, 2026, published by the Gambling Regulatory Authority, March-June 2026
- Finance Act 2025, signed 26 June 2025, as summarised by McKay Advocates and Bowmans
- Kenya Revenue Authority, betting, gaming and lottery tax guidance (15% of GGR, section 29A)
- iGaming Afrika, "Kenya enters a new era as GRA unveils Gambling Control Regulations, 2026", July 2026
- gambling.com, High Court partial lifting of the stay on licensing, August 2026
- Manwa Advocates, summary of the Gambling Control Act 2025
Last reviewed: 24 September 2026.
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