The three online gambling licences in Kenya: what each covers, how long it lasts and what it costs

Which online licences does section 67 create?

Section 67(1) of the Gambling Control Act, 2025 says that anyone who wants to operate, sell or promote online gambling in Kenya must apply to the Gambling Regulatory Authority for one of three licences. They are an online bookmakers licence, an online lottery licence and an online casino licence. Regulation 11(1) of the Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations, 2026 names Form 8 as the application form.

These licences sit on top of a general rule. Section 28(1) bars anyone from offering a gambling activity or service unless it is licensed under the Act, and section 28(2)(i) lists online gambling among the activities the Authority licenses. The guide on whether online betting is legal in Kenya explains what that rule means for the person placing the bet.

Section 67 adds two conditions of its own. Under section 67(2) the applicant submits a proposed gambling control system for the Authority to consider. Under section 67(3) the Authority requires a security deposit before it grants the licence.

What does each online licence cover?

Section 67 names the three licences without describing them. The definitions in section 2 of the Act are therefore the guide to what each one covers.

A sports bet placed through a website or an app is betting by remote communication, so it belongs on the bookmaker side. Virtual football and other virtual sports are named in the online bookmaker definition itself. Section 58(d) makes the same point from the other direction by listing the online bookmakers licence among the licences the Authority may issue for bookmaking.

Section 2 also defines online gambling as any form of gambling in which people take part by remote communication and on the internet. The glossary entry on what counts as online gambling under Kenyan law looks at that definition word by word.

How long does an online gambling licence last?

Section 31(3) of the Act makes a gambling licence valid for thirty-six months from the date of issue, unless regulations prescribe another period. Regulation 22 of the Licensing Regulations (Legal Notice No. 111 of 2026) sends every licence term to its Fourth Schedule. That schedule gives online gambling one year, both for a new licence and for a renewal.

Land-based licences run longer. The same Fourth Schedule gives a casino licence and a bookmaking licence three years each.

Renewal has its own clock. Regulation 24(2) requires the renewal application at least ninety days before the licence expires. Regulation 24(3) then gives the Authority thirty days from the application to issue a successful applicant with the licence.

What do the three online licences cost?

The fees are in item 4, headed "Online licence", of the Second Schedule to Legal Notice No. 111. The schedule prints plain figures with no currency label, and they are read here as Kenya shillings, the unit the Act's own schedules use.

Regulation 11(3) makes the annual operating fee payable once the licensing requirements are met. Illustrative example: the application fee, licence fee and annual operating fee for a new online bookmaker add up to KES 5,000,000 + KES 50,000,000 + KES 5,000,000 = KES 60,000,000 paid to the Authority.

Capital and security come on top of those fees. The Third Schedule to Legal Notice No. 111 sets minimum gambling capital of KES 100,000,000 for an online bookmaker and for an online casino, against KES 50,000,000 for a land-based bookmaker. The Third Schedule to the Act, read with section 40(1), sets the insurance bond or bank guarantee for online gambling at KES 100,000,000.

What else must an online applicant show?

Regulation 11(2) lists the papers that go with Form 8. They include the application fee, a tax compliance certificate and PIN certificate from the Kenya Revenue Authority, and a gambling control system compatible with the Authority's central management system. The applicant also files proof of gambling capital, evidence of anti-money laundering compliance, and the proposed platform, domain name and games provider.

The Act adds ownership and banking rules. Section 29(a) requires the licensee to be a body corporate with at least thirty per cent of its shares held by Kenyan citizens, and section 29(b) requires an account with a financial institution registered in Kenya for all gambling money. Section 68(8) requires a customer care centre within Kenya.

These conditions decide who can lawfully take your bet. The checks a licensed operator then runs on a new player are covered in what you need to open a betting account in Kenya.

How do online licences show on the GRA list?

The regulator publishes one list at gra.go.ke, headed "Licensed Gaming Companies for the Trading Period 2025/26". Its eight columns read, as published: No., Operators Name, Trading Name, BK, PG, PL, STATUS and DOMAINS. On 29 October 2026 the list held 187 rows, numbered 1 to 188 with number 119 missing.

No column is marked online. The page does not explain BK, PG or PL, so it never says which licence a number belongs to. Read against the Act's categories of bookmaker, public gaming and public lottery, the column headed BK appears to carry bookmaker licence numbers, but that reading is an inference and not the regulator's wording.

The site's content API dates the page's last change to 19 March 2026. That is before the Licensing Regulations were gazetted on 30 June 2026, so the list reflects the 2025/26 trading period and not licences issued under the new Regulations. It shows no expiry dates, although section 39(1) requires the Authority's register of licences to record them.

Section 36(3) requires an online licensee to display its licence on its online platform. A practical check is to compare the licence shown on a site with the operator name, trading name and domain on the regulator's list, written exactly as the list prints them.

What happened to licences issued before the 2026 Regulations?

Section 122 of the Act keeps licences issued under the repealed Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act, online gambling licences included, valid for the period of the licence. When such a licence expires, the holder must apply to the Authority for a new one.

Regulation 30(1) of Legal Notice No. 111 sets a shorter window. It keeps a licence issued under the repealed Act in force for sixty days from publication of the Regulations, and regulation 30(2) requires the holder to apply for the appropriate new licence within that period.

What this guide does not cover

Foreign-based operators follow section 79 and their own 2026 Regulations: section 79(1) allows them an online licence only if they are registered in Kenya and have a physical address registered in Kenya. Suppliers of gambling software or platforms need a different licence under section 28(2)(m), which the Fourth Schedule also sets at one year.

For the wider structure of the law, read the Gambling Control Act, 2025 explained for bettors or the complete legal guide to online betting in Kenya.