Kenya’s gambling regulator has launched a digital Gambling Management System that will let it monitor licensed betting, casino and lottery activity in real time, while moving licence applications and renewals online.
The platform was demonstrated to Felix Koskei, Head of Public Service, who said it would support the authority’s regulatory mandate by improving oversight, accountability and enforcement. Once it is fully operational, all licence applications and renewals will be handled online, and regulators will be able to watch licensed gambling activity as it happens.
The move sits within a broader legal overhaul under the Gambling Control Act, 2025, which was assented to in August 2025, according to Bettors Insider. That law replaced the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act and created the Gambling Regulatory Authority as the direct successor to the former Betting Control and Licensing Board, taking over its staff, assets and enforcement role.
Subsidiary regulations implementing the act came into force on 30 June. Polity reported that they establish a wider framework for licensing, supervision and enforcement, and require applicants to show that their systems can work with the authority’s central monitoring platform. Existing licensees have 60 days from 30 June to comply.
The regulations also point to a tighter compliance regime. They require integration with the Kenya Revenue Authority’s systems, and impose a multi-agency structure for online operators that includes the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner and the Communications Authority. Gambling advertisements must also be approved by the GRA and classified by the Kenya Film Classification Board before publication.
The new system builds on measures in the 2025 law aimed at responsible gambling and consumer protection. Those include mandatory age verification using a national identity card or passport, a self-exclusion mechanism, ring-fenced player accounts, certification of gaming equipment, and stricter advertising rules, including a daytime broadcast watershed and responsible-gambling messages.
The push also follows earlier reporting that the authority wanted to end reliance on self-reported figures from operators. In June, The Star said the central monitoring system would give the government direct access to gambling data as transactions occur, help regulators identify unlicensed operators and suspicious transfers, and improve anti-money-laundering checks. The same report said the betting and gaming sector generated about Sh33 billion in taxes in 2024-25, with collections expected to rise to Sh40 billion this year. Existing licensees have 60 days from 30 June to comply.
