Self-exclusion from betting in Kenya: how to do it, step by step

What self-exclusion means under Kenyan law

Self-exclusion is a request to be kept out of gambling for a period you choose. Section 115(1) of the Gambling Control Act, 2025 lets a person who recognises that their gambling is harmful enter a voluntary self-exclusion agreement with a licensee. The agreement can reach all gambling establishments and controlled games, online gambling included.

The Act ties that one agreement to the wider market. Under section 115(2) you notify the Authority of the agreement, and under section 115(3) the Authority keeps a register of those notifications and informs every licensee. Our guide to the Gambling Control Act, 2025 for bettors shows where section 115 sits among the player protections.

The working detail is in the Gambling Control (Conduct of Gambling Operations) Regulations, 2026, Legal Notice No. 112, as gazetted on 30 June 2026. Regulation 70(5) lists what being on the register means: you may not place a bet, open a gambling account, receive promotions or marketing material from a licensee, or claim gambling winnings.

Two ways to start: in your account or with the Authority

The first route sits inside your betting account. Regulation 67(3) requires every online platform to provide a real-time self-exclusion mechanism. Regulation 84(2) adds that the option must be easy to reach, must allow a break of at least twenty-four hours and must be linked to the national self-exclusion register.

The second route goes to the Gambling Regulatory Authority itself. Regulation 70(1) says a person who intends to self-exclude applies to the Authority on Form 1, printed in the First Schedule of L.N. 112. Regulation 70(2) asks for the period you want and a copy of your national identity card or passport.

The account route is the quickest. Form 1 lets you choose the scope, fixes the period in writing and puts your name on the register that licensees check every day.

How to self-exclude through the Authority, step by step

1. Get Form 1, the self-exclusion request form in the First Schedule of L.N. 112. The regulator publishes the Regulations as a PDF on gra.go.ke.
2. Complete Part A: your full name as it appears on your national ID or passport, the document number, date of birth, physical address, telephone number and e-mail address if you have one.
3. In Part B, tick the scope: all licensed gambling operators in Kenya, land-based premises only, remote or online platforms only, or specific operators you name.
4. In Part C, tick one period: six months, one year, two years or an indefinite period.
5. Read Parts D and E. You confirm the request is voluntary, and you consent to the Authority and licensed operators processing and sharing your personal data only to enforce the exclusion, under the Data Protection Act (Cap. 411C).
6. Sign the declaration, attach a copy of your national ID or passport and lodge the form with the Authority.

The regulator's self-exclusion page says you can start in person at its offices or by e-mail, stating your intent to self-exclude. The e-mail address on that page still carries the domain of the former Betting Control and Licensing Board, so confirm it first on the toll-free line, 0800-723-770, as shown on the regulator's website. The site lists the office as ACK Garden Annex, Bishop Road, 1st Ngong Avenue, Nairobi, open Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Regulation 70(3) sets the Authority's timetable. It must acknowledge a complete application within seven days, verify your identity and enter your details in the register within seven days. Regulation 70(4) then requires a written notice telling you when the exclusion takes effect.

How long self-exclusion lasts

Regulation 71(1) keeps the exclusion in force for the period you selected. Form 1 states that the period cannot be revoked or shortened before it expires. Regulation 69(2) also allows a person to apply for permanent exclusion.

To extend a period, complete Form 1 again under regulation 71(2). To remove or change an exclusion, regulation 72 requires a written application on Form SE-B after the period has expired, and the Authority reviews it within fourteen days.

What the operator must do once you ask

Section 115(4) of the Act gives every licence holder five duties towards a self-excluded customer:

• set up mechanisms that give effect to self-exclusion and refuse you service;
• stop marketing material reaching you as soon as practicable;
• remove your name, contact details and other details from its marketing databases within two days of receiving the completed notification;
• close your customer accounts and return any funds held in them;
• run procedures that keep you out of its gambling services.

Section 115(5) sets the deadline. An operator that fails to implement a self-exclusion request within seven days of a written notification commits an offence, punishable by a fine of up to one million shillings, up to one year in prison, or both.

The Regulations add the technical side. Regulation 73 requires existing licensees to connect their systems to the Self Exclusion Register within six months of the Regulations taking effect, block self-excluded persons automatically and check the register daily.

Regulation 74(1) deals with slips. A licensee must deny you access, refund any deposit taken in breach of the exclusion within seven days, cancel winnings won in breach and report the attempt to the Authority at once. Under regulation 74(2), a licensee that accepts a wager from a self-excluded person must refund all stakes, forfeits the winnings to the Authority and risks suspension or revocation for repeated breaches.

Signs of harm the law describes

The law gives no checklist, but it does describe harm. Section 115(1) speaks of gambling that is harmful to you or that makes it difficult to limit the money or time you spend, with adverse consequences for you, other people or the community. Regulation 67(1) covers a punter who says gambling has affected their wellbeing, or that of others who take no part in the gambling.

The Regulations also let others step in. Under regulation 75(1) a licensee may start an exclusion if it reasonably believes a gambler shows signs of compulsive or harmful gambling or is gambling beyond their apparent financial means, and regulation 75(2) gives it twenty-four hours to tell the Authority. Under regulation 78 a family member or other interested party may apply where gambling has caused or is likely to cause serious financial hardship, puts dependants at risk, or has left the person unable to make informed decisions.

Form 1 itself encourages applicants to seek support from recognised health or social support providers. The site's help and limits page sets out warning signs in everyday terms and the first steps to take.

What self-exclusion does not cover

The register is built for licensees. Regulation 68(2) opens it to licensees through a secure electronic interface, so a platform without a Kenyan licence is not part of that arrangement. Our explainer on whether online betting is legal in Kenya shows how to tell a licensee from an unlicensed site.

Form 1 also records two points you accept when you sign it. An attempt to gamble during the period does not cancel the exclusion, and neither the Authority nor licensed operators are liable for gambling you do in breach of it.

If you want a smaller step first, every licensee must also offer deposit, loss and session limits. Those rules are set out in our guide to deposit limits and time limits in Kenyan betting law.