Kenya’s betting industry has been buzzing with excitement for a while now, but the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) says it’s time to put the brakes on the wild ride. Appearing before the Sports and Culture Committee, the Board’s Principal Administrative Secretary, Arthur Osiya, made it clear that Kenya’s gaming landscape is spiralling out of control without a robust monitoring system.
Osiya didn’t mince words: “It is important to note that more than 80 per cent of gambling activities in Kenya are online. Given the scenario, therefore, deployment of adequate technology is the only sure way to effectively monitor and regulate the industry.” Translation? The betting board is drowning in outdated regulations and desperately needs a Central Monitoring System to get a grip on the rapidly growing market that predominantly takes place at online betting sites in Kenya.
The request to MPs was simple: Sh500 million is required to fund this tech upgrade. Osiya urged that without proper investment, Kenya would continue to lose out on both regulation and revenue. And let’s not forget the current law—“The current Betting Lotteries and Gaming Act Cap 131 has a lot of loopholes that frustrate the Board’s efforts to streamline the industry.” In other words, it’s like trying to catch a runaway horse with a butterfly net.
With illegal gambling on the rise and underage gaming slipping through the cracks, the Board has been fighting an uphill battle. Osiya pointed out that tech is not just a want but a necessity. The promise? Public protection, responsible gambling, more revenue, investment growth, and the long-awaited overall industry development.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Osiya proudly reported that the Board has managed to help the government collect a whopping Sh88.4 billion in taxes over the last five years. Impressive, right? Well, not quite. Despite this, BCLB has been working with a shoestring budget. “In the last five years the board was allocated Sh531 million, collected Sh894.6 million in revenue, and Sh88.4 billion in taxes,” Osiya explained.
Essentially, the Board is running a high-stakes casino with spare change.
But one of the more troubling revelations was about underage gamblers. Osiya shared that youngsters, using their parents’ phones, are sneaking into the betting frenzy. Preventing underage gaming has been an ongoing nightmare, and without proper tech, it’s like playing a game of whack-a-mole.
Nonetheless, the Board isn’t just sitting on its hands. Osiya proudly shared some wins: “The fight against illegal and unauthorised gambling has seen the board flag down 37 unauthorised foreign gambling websites and remove illegal gambling machines across the country.” They’ve also conducted responsible gaming awareness programs in 12 counties. A step in the right direction, but much more needs to be done.
Committee chair Dan Wanyama gave the BCLB a pat on the back, assuring them of the committee’s support. But with the tech upgrade still hanging in the balance, it’s clear that without modern tools, the BCLB is playing with a half-deck, and the house might not win this round.
The big question now: will Kenya’s MPs bet on this Sh500 million tech upgrade, or will the gambling industry continue to roll the dice unchecked?
