BCLB forms taskforce to enforce responsible gambling
The collaborative effort includes representatives from key regulatory institutions in the country.
Kenya.- In the past few days, concerns over addiction and youth exposure to gambling have led to a wave of regulations in Kenya’s betting and media industry, leaving operators and stakeholders scrambling to adapt.
The Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) has taken the responsible gambling drive a step further by establishing a new multi-agency enforcement team.
The collaborative effort includes representatives from key regulatory institutions in the country, including the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Financial Reporting Centre, Kenya Film Classification Board, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Media Council of Kenya (MCK), Ministry of Interior and National Administration and Office of the Attorney General.
According to the BCLB, this team has been tasked with creating decisive measures and strengthening regulatory frameworks for the Kenyan betting industry.
A statement from the regulator read: “BCLB hereby calls upon all stakeholders, including but not limited to betting companies, digital platforms, media houses, telecommunication service providers and members of the general public, to fully comply with this directive in the national interest.”
The BCLB said that this move shows the government’s strong commitment to protecting the public and promoting integrity in betting.
In line with the initiative, the regulator also gave matching orders to relevant authorities. The Media Council of Kenya was asked to develop and implement new guidelines to replace the previous programming code that a court had ruled unconstitutional.
The Communications Authority was directed to block all unlicensed foreign gambling sites operating in Kenya immediately.
The team was formed after the BCLB decided to suspend all gambling ads and testimonials for 30 days across all media. The ban covers all forms of advertising for licensed gambling operators, including TV, radio, social media and influencer endorsements.
