How long a new online betting licence lasts in Kenya, and what happens when it ends

A licence from the Gambling Regulatory Authority is not open-ended. For an online betting site licensed under the 2026 rules, the term is one year, and the operator has to apply for renewal months before that year ends. This guide sets out the dates, the gaps people ask about, and what an expired licence means for money in your account.

If you want to see which operators carry the New status first, open the new licensees on the regulator's list.

What does the Act say about licence duration?

Section 31(3) of the Gambling Control Act, 2025 makes a gambling licence valid for thirty-six months from the date of issue. The same subsection adds "or for such other period as may be prescribed in regulations". That clause matters, because the 2026 Regulations use it.

Section 31(1) lets the Authority renew a licence, on the licensee's application, for a further period under that subsection. Renewal is therefore a fresh decision on a fresh application, not an automatic rollover.

What period do the 2026 Licensing Regulations set for online gambling?

The Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations, 2026 are Legal Notice No. 111, made on 29 June 2026 and gazetted on 30 June 2026. Regulation 22 says every licence issued under them lasts for the period in the Fourth Schedule. Regulation 24(5) applies the same schedule to renewed licences.

The Fourth Schedule has one column for a new licence and one for a renewal. Its row headed Online gambling reads one year in both. Section 67(1) of the Act names three online licence types (online bookmaker, online lottery and online casino), and the schedule does not split the online row by type.

The practical point is simple. A betting site that went live on a 2026 online licence is on a yearly cycle, so its first year ends about twelve months after the date of issue.

When must a licensee apply to renew?

The Act and the Regulations each set a deadline before expiry. Section 31(2)(b) of the Act requires the renewal application to be lodged at least three months before the licence expires. Regulation 24(2) of L.N. 111 says at least ninety days.

Under regulation 24(1) the licensee must meet the requirements for its licence type, apply on the prescribed form and pay the Second Schedule fees. For an online bookmaker, item 4 of that schedule lists a renewal application fee of KES 2,500,000, a licence renewal fee of KES 10,000,000 and an annual operating licence fee of KES 5,000,000. Regulation 27 says fees are not refunded when a licence is revoked or the business stops.

Regulation 24(3) gives the Authority thirty days from the application to issue a renewed licence to a successful applicant. A rejection must come with written reasons within fourteen days of the decision under regulation 24(4), and section 32(3) of the Act allows an appeal within twenty-one days of that notice.

How a renewed line looks on the list, next to a New line, is covered in renewal versus a new licence for players.

Illustrative example. Take an online licence issued on 2 November 2026. The dates below are arithmetic from the rules above, not dates published by the Authority.

The two counts differ by a couple of days. Filing by the earlier date meets both.

Is there a grace period after a licence expires?

No grace period appears in the Act or in L.N. 111 as gazetted. Neither text offers a late-renewal window or lets a licensee keep trading for a set time after expiry. Section 36(1) even ties the display of a licence to "the period of validity of the licence".

The only extra time in the 2026 texts was a one-off transition. Section 122(1) of the Act kept licences issued under the repealed Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act valid for their period. Regulation 30(1) of L.N. 111 then cut them to sixty days from publication of the Regulations on 30 June 2026, and holders had to apply afresh within that window.

If a licence ends and no renewed licence has been issued, the business is left without a valid licence. Section 98 makes operating any form of gambling without a valid licence an offence, punishable on a first conviction by a fine of up to KES 3,000,000, up to three years in prison, or both.

Can a new licence end before its year is up?

Yes. Regulation 26(1) of L.N. 111 lets the Authority, after notice, suspend or revoke a licence where the licensee does not start business within six months of issue, or stops operating for more than three months without approval. Failing to pay the annual licence fee is another listed ground, under regulation 26(1)(k).

Before deciding, the Authority must hear the licensee's representations under regulation 26(2). Regulation 26(9) requires each suspension or revocation to be published in the Gazette and in two national newspapers or other national media. The effect on players is set out in what happens if a new site loses its licence.

What does expiry mean for the money in your account?

The Act protects player balances through duties placed on the licensee. Section 76(2) requires money held for players to equal, at all times, at least the total of player balances. Any shortfall must be made good from the licensee's own money within thirty days of the end of the month.

Section 77(1) adds that where no transaction is recorded on a player's account for three months, the licensee must remit the balance to the player. On revocation, regulation 26(5) of L.N. 111 requires the licensee to safeguard player deposits and personal data.

If you hear that a site's licence has lapsed, these steps keep the record on your side:

• Note your balance and keep the deposit and withdrawal messages from your mobile money provider or bank.
• Ask the site in writing for its licence details and the date its current licence was issued.
• Hold off on new deposits until the licence position is clear.
• Call the toll-free line 0800-723-770, as shown on the regulator's website, and ask whether the licence is current.

What does the regulator's list show, and what does it leave out?

Section 39(1)(d) of the Act requires the Authority's register of licences to record each licence's date of expiry. Section 39(2) opens that register to the public at reasonable times on payment of a prescribed fee.

The list published on gra.go.ke is a separate document. It is headed "Licensed Gaming Companies for the Trading Period 2025/26" and has eight columns: No., Operators Name, Trading Name, BK, PG, PL, STATUS and DOMAINS. None of them gives an expiry date.

The list holds 187 rows, 170 with the status Renewal and 17 with New. The site's own content API dates its last change to 19 March 2026, before the 2026 Regulations were published. The period in that heading is explained in what the trading period on the list means.

What this guide does not cover

This guide covers online licences under the Act and L.N. 111 only. It leaves out land-based premises, the full application process and the complete fee tables. For the wider picture of reading a new line and checking a site, see the guide to new betting sites in Kenya and how to check a new licensee.