Betting Firms Staring at Low Revenues As Bill to Tame The Vice Set For Debate
Betting Shops and related gaming businesses in the Nairobi are facing closure as Nairobi County Assembly resumes to debate the Nairobi City County Betting, Lotteries and Gaming (Amendment bill 2021).
The bill that is set for a second hearing this Thursday seeks to make gambling a rich man’s game in Kenya a move that will likely have a great impact on the gaming companies revenues.
The Amendments in the proposal want to outlaw betting on mobile phones and betting shops and only restrict it to those who are well off in the society.
If it sails through all betting shops in the city will be closed down and gaming restricted only to five star hotels with casinos.
“A person who intends to operate betting, Lotteries or Gaming premise must be domiciled within a five star hotel as rated by the Tourism Regulatory Authority.” Reads the bill that is to be tabled for its second reading on Thursday.
According to the Deputy Majority Chief Whip and Nairobi South Member of County Assembly Waithera Chege, who tabled the bill on floor, Kenyans are spending a lot of productive time on gambling reducing their productivity.
A 2017 Geopoll survey ranked Kenya as the highest number of youths engaging in gambling in sub-Saharan Africa.
The report estimated that 76 per cent of Kenyans were taking part in betting, with at least 76 per cent of Kenyan youths aged between 17 and 35 having engaged in at least one form of gambling.
Waithera says that among the issues the bill is seeking to address is a ban on all forms of betting advertisements in the media and change to cashless forms of betting to make it inaccessible to children.
“We are putting on record all the gambling companies. We want the gambling to move from cashless to online, we want to be able to easily tell you’re over 18 years that’s when you can gamble,” Waithera said.
The bill is also pushing the telecoms services providers to cancel all the USSD codes used by radio stations in their gaming activities.
If successful the proposed law, will also force betting companies to shut down their betting Apps during the day and open them only during the night between 8 PM and 6 AM in the morning, failure to which one will face fine of up to Ksh5 million and or 2 year jail sentence.
The bill has rattled the shoulders of large betting firms with most of them opting to remain mum and avoid the matter.
We reached Betika and GamePesa on whether they gave their input on the bill during the public participation phase they refused to issue a comment.
Mozart Bet were also not available for a comment.
Currently, the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act, 2018 and Nairobi City County Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act, 2021 have established Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Control Boards, which complement each other and are tasked with various functions, including implementation of national policies, norms and standards in relation to betting, lotteries and gaming activities.
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