🇰🇪 Kenya · Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya (GRAK)

Kenya Online Gambling Licence — 2026

Status, October 2026: the Gambling Control Act 2025 (No. 14 of 2025), in force since 26 August 2025, repealed the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act and replaced the BCLB with the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya (GRAK). Fees under the Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations 2026 (LN 111/2026) are under judicial review (High Court JR E251 of 2026); on 21 August 2026 the court allowed GRAK to collect them pending judgment, which had not been delivered on 22 October 2026. The 21 October 2026 ruling in Petition E533 sent related challenges to the Act and the Regulations to the Principal Judge. Full costing in the article on the Kenya online licence. Online licence fees, the one-year term and the court case →

East Africa's largest betting market — Kenya licenses online betting, casino and lottery through the Gambling Regulatory Authority under the Gambling Control Act 2025, with one-year online licences, 30% Kenyan shareholding and a 5% excise on deposits.

Tier 3 — Emerging / recently liberalised

Kenya is East Africa's betting heartland. Since 26 August 2025 the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya licenses it under the Gambling Control Act 2025, which replaced the Betting Control and Licensing Board. The market runs on mobile money — M-Pesa integration is effectively a requirement, not a feature.

The 2026 Licensing Regulations made online licences expensive and short: KES 60m in fees in the first year for an online bookmaker or casino, a one-year term, a KES 100m guarantee and KES 100m of capital, with at least 30% of shares held by Kenyan citizens. Excise is 5% of amounts deposited for betting. The fee schedule is in court, so pricing around policy change is still part of operating here.

Quick facts

Regulator	Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya ↗
Tier	Tier 3 — Emerging / recently liberalised
Licence types	Online bookmaker licence, Online casino licence, Online lottery licence, Land-based casino, bookmaker and lottery licences, Prize-competition licence
Application cost	Online bookmaker or online casino: KES 5,000,000 application fee plus KES 50,000,000 licence fee on grant; online lottery KES 5,000,000 plus KES 20,000,000 (LN 111/2026, Second Schedule). Under court challenge
Annual cost	KES 5,000,000 annual operating fee for online bookmakers and casinos; renewal KES 2,500,000 application plus KES 10,000,000 licence fee (LN 111/2026)
Gaming tax	5% excise duty on amounts deposited for betting, including amounts the operator credits, from 1 July 2026 (Finance Act 2026, s. 36); the withholding tax on winnings and any revenue-based betting tax are being re-verified
Corporate tax	30% Kenyan corporate tax
Substance	At least 30% of shares held by Kenyan citizens and a Kenyan bank account for all licensed-activity money (Gambling Control Act 2025, s. 29); a customer care centre in Kenya (s. 68(8)); KES 100,000,000 security bond or bank guarantee and proof of KES 100,000,000 gambling capital for online licences
Timeline	No statutory decision period for a new application; online licences run 1 year and renewals must be filed at least 90 days before expiry, with a decision within 30 days (LN 111/2026, reg. 24 and Fourth Schedule)

Pros

Largest sports-betting market in East Africa
Deep mobile-money (M-Pesa) integration
Separate online bookmaker, casino and lottery licences with gazetted fees (LN 111/2026)

Cons

KES 60m in fees in year one for an online bookmaker or casino, on a one-year licence
At least 30% Kenyan citizen shareholding required
Fee schedule and parts of the Act under High Court challenge

Best for

Sports-betting operators targeting East Africa
Mobile-first operators using M-Pesa
Groups building an African footprint

Recent developments (2025-2026)

The Gambling Control Act 2025 commenced on 26 August 2025 and repealed Cap. 131; licences issued under it stay valid until expiry (s. 122). LN 111/2026 (29 June 2026) set online fees: KES 5m to apply, KES 50m on grant (lottery 20m), KES 5m a year, renewal KES 2.5m + 10m, on a one-year online term. JR E251 of 2026: on 21 August 2026 the court let GRAK collect the fees with a refund undertaking; judgment set for 2 October was not delivered. From 1 July 2026 the 5% excise base includes amounts the operator credits and horse racing is no longer exempt (Finance Act 2026, s. 36).

Frequently asked questions

Who licenses betting in Kenya?

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya (GRAK), under the Gambling Control Act 2025, in force since 26 August 2025. It replaced the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) and the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act.

Why is mobile money important for Kenyan betting?

Because M-Pesa dominates payments. Deposits and withdrawals run largely through mobile money, so M-Pesa integration is central to any Kenyan betting operation.

How is betting taxed in Kenya?

Excise duty is 5% of amounts deposited for betting, including amounts the operator credits, from 1 July 2026 (Finance Act 2026). Withholding on winnings and corporate tax also apply; those rates are being re-verified.

Compare and define

Licence cost benchmarks to compare Kenya against — application fee, annual renewal, gaming tax and the all-in first-year figure.
How Kenya compares with 35 other jurisdictions — cost, tax, timeline and reputational tier, grouped by tier.

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