The Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations 2026 set a KES 5,000,000 application fee and a KES 50,000,000 annual licence fee for online bookmakers, with gambling capital requirements ranging between KES 100,000,000 and KES 2,000,000,000 depending on the activity class applied for. These fee and capital schedules are currently under judicial review in Judicial Review E251 of 2026 before the High Court of Kenya. The court narrowed its earlier stay on the regulations on 7 August 2026 in a decision delivered by Justice W. Musyoka, meaning licence fees and capital requirements remain suspended in part. The matter, originally set for a ruling on 2 October 2026, was adjourned to a mention on 12 October 2026 for further directions after interested parties were given additional time to respond. Until the court rules, the final cost of obtaining and maintaining an online bookmaking licence in Kenya remains legally unsettled, though the underlying licensing structure created by the Gambling Control Act, 2025 and its subsidiary regulations is otherwise operative.
Jurisdictions › Kenya › Licensing and regulation
Kenya · Question 02 of 11
Licensing and regulation: Can we get a licence?
Mixed · Probable · AI-generated · Back to full Kenya report →
Key section parameters
| Jurisdiction | Kenya (KE) |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Recorded in register |
| Favourability | Mixed |
| Confidence | Probable |
| Review status | AI-generated |
| Last collected | 11 Oct 2026 |
Summary answer
The Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations 2026 set a KES 5,000,000 application fee and a KES 50,000,000 annual licence fee for online bookmakers, with gambling capital requirements ranging between KES 100,000,000 and KES 2,000,000,000 depending on the activity class applied for. These fee and cap…