Kenya tightens reins on online betting: National Assembly hands regulator new powers
In a vital legislative shake-up, Kenya’s Betting Control and Licensing Board has been given the power to police online betting platforms.
Kenya – In a brazen legislative move aimed at sealing cracks in Kenya’s financial crime defences, the National Assembly has passed the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating of Terrorism Financing Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025. This ushers in a new era of accountability, especially for Kenya’s booming online betting sector.
At the heart of the reform lies a game-changing amendment to the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act (Cap.131) – a clause that now empowers the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) with regulatory and supervisory authority over betting and gaming operators, including those operating in the online space.
For the first time, online betting entities will fall under direct scrutiny for compliance with anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorism financing (CTF) and counter-proliferation financing (CPF) laws – an effort to curb the misuse of Kenya’s fast-growing digital gambling landscape for illicit financial flows.
Getting off the grey list
This amendment marks a seismic shift for the betting industry, long criticised for its patchy regulatory oversight. The online boom, driven by mobile technology and a youthful population, has created fertile ground for shady transactions, something the new law aims to stamp out.
“We are debating this Bill today because Kenya is currently on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. Unless we act with urgency, the consequences could be severe and long-lasting,” warned Finance and Planning Committee Chair, Kuria Kimani, according to the Nairobi Wire.
The bill also amends nine other pieces of legislation, targeting sectors from mining to retirement benefits and estate agents. But it’s the key amendments to the BCLB’s role that has drawn the most attention, bringing digital gambling into the AML spotlight for the first time.
BCLB’s new powers
The revamped mandate gives the BCLB teeth to investigate, audit and enforce compliance measures – holding both traditional and online betting operators to account. It also aligns Kenya’s gaming laws with international standards outlined by the FATF, a move that could be critical in getting the country off the grey list.
With these sweeping reforms, Kenya is sending a clear message: the era of regulatory blind spots in online betting is over.
