Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has asked the National Government through the Ministry of Interior and the Betting Control and Licensing Board to strengthen the regulation of betting in Kenya.
Omtatah, on Friday, May 2, asked the government to take the lead in drafting a bill to regulate the sector and return it to public oversight.
“The National Government, through the Ministry of Interior and the Betting Control and Licensing Board, should take the lead in drafting a bill to regulate these sectors and return it to public oversight. We must pass legislation that puts the well-being of Kenyans above corporate profit,” he said.
He also explained that unregulated betting companies take advantage of poor people, fuel addiction and send their profits abroad, leaving behind a trail of suffering.
In a statement, Omtatah also revealed that the government earns less than 2% of what gambling companies make from advertisements.
Speaking on a phone call with a radio station in Tanzania, where he was asked about Kenya's recent move to suspend gambling ads and shut down over 50 betting firms, the senator said that betting adverts have caused major damage among youths.
“The truth is the government collects less than 2 per cent of what these companies make. Meanwhile, the social damage is enormous: broken families, rising poverty, and a growing mental health crisis among our youth,” Omtatah said.
This comes after the Betting Control and Licensing Board(BCLB) on April 29 suspended all gambling advertisements across all media platforms in the country following the accelerating rate of gambling activities and addiction in the country.
The BCLB chairperson, Jane Mwikali, confirmed that the ban will last for the next 30 days. The ban applies to all licensed gambling operators and promotional activities aired on television, radio, social media platforms, all forms of print media, outdoor advertising, including billboards, branded transport, SMS, email campaigns, push notifications, celebrity endorsements and influencer marketing.
"In view of these occurrences, and pursuant to its statutory mandate under the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act (Chapter 131, Laws of Kenya), the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) hereby ORDERS the immediate suspension of all gambling advertisements and testimonials across all media platforms for a period of thirty (30) days with effect from the date of this statement," it stated.
The board urged the gambling operators and promoters shall, within this period to submit all gambling advertisements to the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) for assessment before airing, in addition to executing measures that will ensure responsible gambling in line with the licensing and operating conditions issued by BCLB.
"During this period of suspension, all licensed gambling operators and promoters shall ensure strict compliance with all applicable legislative and regulatory frameworks governing gambling and related advertising in Kenya," it stated.
