Help, limits and self-exclusion
If betting has started to take more than you meant to give it, in money, time or sleep, this page sets out what you can do today and what the law makes every licensed site do for you. Gambling is addictive. You do not have to sort it out alone.
If you want to talk to someone now
The Gambling Regulatory Authority's toll-free line is 0800-723-770, as shown on the regulator's website. You can ask there about self-exclusion and about a site you think is unlicensed. The Authority's offices are at ACK Garden Annex, Bishop Road and 1st Ngong Avenue, 7th floor, Nairobi, open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
Signs it may be causing harm
- You bet again to win back what you lost.
- Money meant for rent, food or school fees has gone into a betting wallet.
- You have borrowed, or used a loan app, to keep betting.
- You hide how much or how often you bet from people close to you.
- You feel restless or irritable when you try to stop.
- A new site's adverts pulled you back after you had stopped.
One of these on its own is a reason to use the limits below. Several together are a reason to call the line.
Self-exclusion
Under s.115(1) of the Gambling Control Act, 2025, a person who recognises that their gambling is harmful may enter a self-exclusion agreement with a licensee, covering all gambling including online. The licensee must take you off its marketing databases within two days of the completed notification (s.115(4)(c)). An operator that fails to act on a written request within seven days commits an offence (s.115(5)).
You can also apply to the Authority itself on Form 1, stating the period and attaching a copy of your national ID or passport; the Authority acknowledges within seven days (L.N. 112 r.70(1)-(3)). The form offers six months, one year, two years or an indefinite period, and the period cannot be shortened once it has started (L.N. 112 First Schedule, Form 1).
Once you are registered as self-excluded, you may not place a bet, open a gambling account, receive promotions or claim winnings (r.70(5)). A licensee must keep you out, refund any deposit it took in breach within seven days and report the attempt to the Authority (r.74(1)).
Limits every licensee must offer
| Tool | What it does | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit limits | Caps what you can pay in per day, per week or per month | L.N. 112 r.84(1)(a) |
| Loss, session and expenditure limits | Caps what you can lose, how long you play and what you spend | L.N. 112 r.84(1)(b) |
| Reality checks | Pop-up notices showing how long you have been playing | L.N. 112 r.84(1)(d) |
| Self-exclusion in the product | Locks you out for at least 24 hours, linked to the national register | L.N. 112 r.84(2) |
| Real-time self-exclusion online | Lets you exclude yourself on the platform in real time | L.N. 112 r.67(3) |
You choose the figures. No maximum stake, deposit or loss is set in the Act or the Regulations as gazetted. A licensee may not advance you credit or let you bet on a credit card (s.72(7)), and may not make offers designed to get you to gamble more (s.74).
When a new site is the problem
New brands arrive with adverts. An approved advert must carry the message "gambling is addictive" or "play responsibly" and a toll-free helpline or counselling website (L.N. 114 r.8(c)). It may not use a call to action, testimonials or former winners (r.9). If a site you excluded yourself from keeps sending promotions, that breaches s.115(4)(c). Note the date and report it on the line above.
What you can do today
- Set a deposit limit on every betting account you hold, as low as you like.
- Use the site's own self-exclusion for at least 24 hours if you need a break tonight.
- For a longer break, apply to the Authority on Form 1 with a copy of your ID.
- Delete betting apps from your phone and remove saved payment details.
- Move money for rent, food and fees out of the wallet you bet from.
- Tell one person you trust what has been happening.
Gambling is for adults of the age of majority, which in Kenya is eighteen; the Conduct of Gambling Operations Regulations, 2026 bar persons under eighteen (L.N. 112 r.92). A licensee must ask for proof of age before registering anyone (s.72(3)).