The Nairobi County Assembly has proposed strict measures against betting, fining owners of premises used for public gaming up to KSh 1 million or imprisoning them for up to five years if these establishments operate near schools, places of worship, or residential estates.
These penalties would apply under the Nairobi City County Betting, Lotteries, and Gaming Act, 2023, championed by Ngara Member of County Assembly (MCA) Chege Mwaura. If enacted, the legislation would establish the Nairobi City County Betting, Lotteries, and Gaming Control Board to license and oversee all betting, gaming, and lottery operations in the county.
A similar effort in 2021 to restrict gambling to five-star hotels was overturned by the courts. This new bill outlines detailed regulations for betting shops, totalisator outlets, and other gaming establishments in the county.
“Nearly 80 percent of all betting in Kenya occurs in Nairobi. This is why we are advocating for greater public involvement now, to require betting firms to provide psychosocial support to the communities they serve,” Mwaura explained.
The bill would also authorize the control board to approve prize competitions and public lotteries in the county. Mwaura said the legislation aims to regulate betting in informal settlements, generate jobs, and increase county revenue.
Operators of gaming machines and owners of premises hosting them will face the strictest enforcement, as the county seeks to make gambling a heavily regulated activity.
The proposed bill states that anyone who owns, occupies, or temporarily use premises for public gaming without a valid license commits an offence. Upon conviction, they could face a fine of up to KSh 1 million, a prison sentence of up to five years, or both.
