Kenya’s Gambling Authority Unveils Online Licensing and Real-Time Monitoring Platform

The Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) has showcased a new digital Gambling Management System intended to handle licence applications and renewals through an online portal, while simultaneously equipping regulators with live visibility into all licensed gambling operations. The platform represents a cornerstone of Kenya’s shift to a revamped oversight structure created by the Gambling Control Act, 2025, which supplants the older Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act and formally designates the GRA as the industry’s supervisory body.

Head of Public Service Felix Koskei noted that once fully operational, the system will process every licence application and renewal digitally, and will also enable real-time observation of permitted gambling activities. The launch follows the publication of comprehensive regulations on June 30 that mandate all current licence holders to transition to the new framework within 60 days.

Under the updated regime, licensing requirements now extend beyond operators to encompass platform providers, gaming equipment suppliers, testing laboratories, and key employees involved in gambling operations. The digital system is designed to support stricter compliance obligations introduced by the Act and its accompanying regulations, including mandatory identity verification via official documents, a nationally administered self-exclusion programme, and a directive that operators keep customer funds separate from corporate accounts.

Kenya’s move responds to the increasing digitalisation and mobile-driven nature of gambling activities. The new legal framework aims to close oversight gaps associated with remote betting services, continuous mobile access, and cross-border offerings that had tested enforcement under the previous legislation. Authorities have also tightened advertising controls and certification standards for gaming equipment, with the GRA expected to leverage the monitoring system to track compliance more rigorously once the platform is fully deployed.

The GRA has yet to announce an exact timeline for when the system will go live, although its introduction coincides with the broader transition period operators are navigating as they adapt to the new legal environment. Earlier in April, Kenyan authorities escalated enforcement against illegal gambling, deploying multi-agency teams to dismantle unlicensed machines and warning operators of sustained inspections across counties, driven by growing concerns over youth involvement and unregulated betting.