Is betting legal in Kenya for online punters under the GRA?

Kenyan betting law now sits in one statute, the Gambling Control Act, 2025 (Act No. 14 of 2025). It was assented to on 7 August 2025 and came into force on 26 August 2025.

The Act repealed the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act of 1966, the law punters knew from the BCLB era. Section 6 sets up the GRA, which took over from the Betting Control and Licensing Board.

The GRA licenses bookmakers, casinos, lotteries and prize competitions. Under section 5, county governments issue trade permits for gambling premises. The stated purpose of the Act is to authorise some gambling activities and treat the rest as unlawful, so the licence is what turns a betting site into a legal one.

The regulator’s website, gra.go.ke, still lists email addresses ending in bclb.go.ke. That is a leftover of the old board, and the same office handles licensing and complaints.

Online betting is legal when the site holds a GRA online licence and you are 18 or older. The Act writes several online rules straight into law.

• Minimum stake of KSh 20. Section 71(1) bars a player in an online gambling activity from betting less than twenty shillings in a competition, and section 71(3) makes it an offence for an operator to allow a smaller bet.
• Registered accounts only. Section 72 lets only registered players who hold an account take part, and the operator must require proof of age of majority before registering anyone. Section 70(6) asks for the same proof again before a prize is paid.
• Deposits from your own money. Section 73 lets licensees take funds by debit card, electronic funds transfer, mobile money such as M-Pesa and Airtel Money, or cash. Section 74 bars them from lending to players.
• Foreign brands need a Kenyan base. Section 79 allows an online licence for a foreign operator only after it registers a company and a physical address in Kenya.

Published terms at several bookmakers still show lower minimums: KSh 1 at SportPesa (multibets), SportyBet and Odibets (football), and KSh 10 at Shabiki, Kwikbet and Mozzartbet.

Winnings are taxed as well. A licensed site withholds 20% of the profit on a winning bet under the Income Tax Act, and the 5% excise on deposits applies from 1 July 2026 under the Finance Act 2026; the betting tax guide works through a payout in shillings.

Asking is betting legal in Kenya on a given site comes down to one GRA licence check, which takes two minutes on the regulator’s own licensed operators list. The list covers the 2025/2026 financial year and gives the company name, the trading name, a BK number for bookmaking and a PG number for public gaming such as casino games.

1. Find the company name in the bookmaker’s terms and conditions or its site footer.
2. Search the GRA list for the trading name, for example SportPesa or Betika.
3. Match the company: SportPesa is listed under Milestone Games Limited with BK 0001193, and Betika under Shop & Deliver Limited with BK 0001117 and PG 0001113.
4. Compare the licence number on the site with the list entry.

Numbers on operator sites have started to change format. SportPesa’s footer now cites GRAK/2026/BK185751, a newer style than the 2025/26 list. A matching company name on the GRA list is the part to rely on.

Search the company name as well as the brand, because the GRA spells some trading names its own way: Betrg8, Kwik Bet, Cheza Cash and Bangbet Casino.

The main penalties in the Act target whoever runs gambling without a licence. Section 98 sets a fine of up to KSh 3 million, up to three years in prison, or both for a first offence, rising to KSh 5 million or five years for a repeat.

Foreign sites face their own rule. Under section 79(3), a foreign-based operator that offers online gambling in Kenya without a licence risks a fine of up to KSh 50 million as a company, or KSh 2 million and two years for an individual.

Operators can also be punished for how they take bets. Letting a player stake less than KSh 20 online carries a fine of at least KSh 3 million under section 71. Section 87 keeps gambling adverts off TV and radio between 6am and 10pm, except during live sport.

For punters, the safest route is a licensed account in your own name: check the company on the GRA list before your first M-Pesa deposit, then compare offers among the best betting sites in Kenya. If betting stops being fun, the Act also gives you a self-exclusion right, set out on the responsible gambling page.