Guides to new licences and new betting sites
Each guide answers one question you might have when an unfamiliar betting name turns up: is it on the list, what does its status mean, what must it do for you, and what happens if things go wrong. Every one names the section of the Gambling Control Act, 2025 or the 2026 Regulations it relies on and lists its sources at the end.
Updated . 15 guides published.
New licensees
What the New status on the regulator's list means and how to read a new line.
- What 'New' means in the status column of the GRA list
On the GRA list for 2025/26, New marks a licence line not recorded as a renewal: a licensing step, not a quality mark. The list shows no expiry dates.
- A new betting site's domain is not on the regulator's list: what that means
All 17 New rows on the regulator's list show Nil for the domain. What a missing domain means, case by case, and how to confirm a site with the Authority.
Checking a new site
How to verify a newly launched betting site before you deposit.
- New betting sites in Kenya: how to check a new licensee before you trust it with money
How to read a New line on the GRA list, check a new betting site in five steps, and what every Kenyan licensee must have from day one under the 2025 Act.
- How to check a new betting site is licensed in Kenya
Match the company, trading name, BK number and domain with one line of the GRA list, then call 0800-723-770. No domain listed yet? Treat it as unconfirmed.
What a new site must have
The duties the Act and regulations place on every licensee from day one.
- What a newly licensed bookmaker must have from day one in Kenya
A new Kenyan bookmaker needs a local company with 30% Kenyan shares, a Kenyan bank account, a displayed licence, ID checks, limits and a complaints desk.
- KYC at a new betting site in Kenya: what you may be asked, when, and what to refuse
A licensed Kenyan betting site must check your identity, age and location before your first deposit (L.N. 112 r.82). It never needs your M-Pesa PIN.
- The complaints process a newly licensed betting site must offer
A licensed Kenyan betting site must run a customer care centre, report your complaint to the regulator in two days and refer it after 72 hours.
Early risks
What can go wrong in a site's first months and how the law protects you.
- New betting site red flags: what to watch in your first month
Six red flags at a new betting site, from a missing licence line to deposits to a personal number, slow payouts and unclear terms, with the law on each.
- How to report an unlicensed betting site in Kenya
Report an unlicensed betting site to the regulator: the toll-free line 0800-723-770, what to send, and the offences under sections 28, 79 and 98.
- Foreign betting sites targeting Kenya: what the law says and how to tell them apart
Offering online betting in Kenya without a Kenyan licence is an offence under section 79(3). An offshore site gives you none of the Act's protections.
Licence lifecycle
Application, duration, renewal, suspension and expiry of a bookmaker's licence.
- If a new betting site loses its licence in Kenya: what happens to your account
A Kenyan betting licence can be suspended, revoked or not renewed. Money owed to players stays owed, notice rules apply, and here is what to do first.
- Betting licence renewal vs a new licence in Kenya: what changes for players
New and Renewal on Kenya's betting list describe the licence application, not quality. A renewal keeps the same company and your account in place.
- How long a new online betting licence lasts in Kenya, and what happens when it ends
A new online betting licence in Kenya runs one year under L.N. 111, not the Act's 36 months. Renewal is due 90 days before expiry, with no grace period.
Licence words
Short definitions of the words on a licence line.
- What is the trading period on the GRA list of licensed operators?
The trading period is the licensing year one edition of the regulator's list covers. The current GRA table is headed 2025/26, last modified 19 March 2026.
- What is a licensee under the Gambling Control Act, 2025?
A licensee is a person issued with a licence under Kenya's Gambling Control Act, 2025 (section 2): the company that holds the licence, not the brand name.
How the guides are dated
A guide's tab shows the day it was first published, and its byline shows the day it was last updated. When the Act, the Regulations or the regulator's list changes, the guide is revised and the new date appears. Errors that were fixed are recorded on the corrections page, and the editorial policy explains how each guide is prepared.