Is it legal to play online casino in Kenya?

Yes, it's absolutely legal to play online casino in Kenya. Gambling was made legal in the year 1966 when the Kenyan government approved the "Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act" which saw the introduction of the Betting Control and Licensing Board of Kenya (BCLB).

The Betting Control and Licensing Board of Kenya is the regulatory unit that is responsible for ensuring that all forms of gambling are carried out in a legal way in Kenya. They sell licenses to betting operators both online, as well as physical casinos and sports betting operators.

Any online casino that wants to advertise its product in Kenya must go through the BCLB first. They must pay a fee to obtain the license, and then they must pay an annual tax on all the profits they make in Kenya.

In turn, the BCLB will ensure that these online casinos live up to certain requirements. In addition, if you have problems with any online casinos that are licensed in Kenya, you can take your complaint to the BCLB who will help you make your claim against the gambling site in question.

This provides a certain level of security for Kenyan players. Obviously, the online casinos want to stay on good terms with the BCLB. So they make sure to keep their players happy. If an online casino is found guilty of scamming players, then the BCLB could ultimately revoke their license, so they can no longer operate in Kenya.

Yes. Joining an online casino without a Kenyan gambling license is both possible and legal. The Kenyan government does not prohibit citizens from using online casinos without a license. The choice is totally up to you.

However, bear in mind that if you do experience problems with this online casino, the BCLB will not be able to assist you with your complaint. They only take care of complaints related to online casinos that are licensed in Kenya. So in this example, you would need to contact the regulatory organ which has licensed the casino in question. This could prove to be a difficult task.

The other problem you may face is the fact that online casinos that don't cater to Kenyan players, often don't have the most convenient deposit methods for Kenyan players. You may find it hard to make a deposit if the online casino does not accept Mpesa or Airtel Money. You would need to use a payment card, an e-wallet or make a bank transfer.

For the reasons stated above, we do recommend that you use an online casino which is licensed in Kenya, but ultimately, the choice is up to you. There are plenty of great online casinos that are not licensed in Kenya. Let's take a look at one of them below!