Betting firms will be subject to a double-layer approval of gambling advertisements under new rules aimed at promoting responsible gaming and protecting minors.
New regulations demand that gambling advertisements be approved by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya and the Kenya Film and Classification Board before publication or airing on media outlets.
“They also mandate responsible gambling messaging and prohibit advertisements targeting minors, portraying gambling as a means of financial success, or featuring celebrities, influencers, former winners or persons holding positions of public trust. Restrictions also apply to the timing and placement of advertisements,” law firm Bowmans points out in a note on the new regulations.
The rules also prohibit use of celebrities, influencers, and content creators in the promotion of betting activities.
Data shows that spending on advertising within the betting and gaming sector rose by 42.7 percent to Sh187million in the three months ended December 2025, marking a recovery for the industry, which is still reeling from the shocks of stricter rules by the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB).
The spending between October and December 2025 marked a significant rebound compared to the previous quarter when it dipped by 89percent to Sh131 million, compared to Sh1.2 billion recorded in the preceding quarter—hit by stricter regulations from the BCLB earlier in June 2025 aimed at promoting responsible gambling and protecting minors.
Data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) shows television continued to dominate betting advertisements, accounting for Sh137 million of the total spend, followed by radio at Sh49 million, while print media attracted just Sh1 million.
The government has over the years raised alarm over betting, saying that the craze has pushed gamblers into debt all in the quest to fund betting, besides jeopardising the financial health of their dependants.
Kenya is currently home to the highest number of youthful gamblers in Africa, ahead of bigger economies like Nigeria and South Africa, underscoring the extent of the betting craze in Kenya.
A survey by research firm GeoPoll shows that 64 percent of Kenyans interviewed in the survey placed a bet in the past 12 months, ahead of 60 percent of respondents in Ghana and 58 percent in South Africa.
A Central Bank of Kenya survey in 2024 revealed that Kenyans spent an average of Sh1,825 a month on betting, in the pursuit of quick cash. However, only a few punters win, giving the betting firms a windfall in betting revenues.
