Gaming bill dismissed in Kenya

The government of Kenya has rejected an approved gaming bill aiming to regulate the financial structure.

Kenya.- The President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta has reportedly rejected a gaming bill, which wanted to regulate the financial structure. The proposal had been approved by the complete Parliament commissions, but Kenyatta alleged several changes must be reviewed. The bill established 39.5 tax for gaming operations.

As reported by The East African, the president also suggested legislators to reduce the proposal tax to 35 percent. Betting sites, lotteries and general gaming operations would be included in the new financial regime, which now will be assessed again by the Parliament.

According to the local news outlet, President Uhuru Kenyatta considered the bill did not include enough requirements to dismiss the participation of minors in gaming operations. The original draft contained further conditions on youth participation but they were deleted by the House of Representatives.

“This totally negates the spirit underlying the proposal to have the betting tax raised,” wrote the President in his proposal to the Speaker of the National Assembly signed on Tuesday, as The East African revealed.

Henry Rotich, Treasury Secretary, declared that the hikes were also meant to discourage gamblers from having problems. “The expansion of the industry has had negative social effects on society, especially on the youths and vulnerable members of the society,” he said back in March, after announcing the raise.