Betika, Sportspesa, Odibets Among 11 Operators to Receive New Kenyan Licenses
In a letter sent to Safaricom on November 2, 2026, the GRA named a total of 11 companies that have now had their licenses approved.
Safaricom is the company that operates Kenya's biggest mobile money platform, MPesa, and thus control which paybill numbers should stay active.
Licensed Betting Operators in Kenya for the 2026/2027 Financial Year
- Sportpesa
- Betika
- Odibets
- Pepeta
- Yowin
- Finix Casino/ Sportpesa
- Bongobongo
- Gamemania
- Sportybet
- Wezabet
- Betnare
GRA's First Set of Licenses Comes After Tax Stand-Off
The Gambling Regulatory Authority only took over from the old Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) this year, under the Gambling Control Act 2025.
The road to new licenses hasn't been smooth. New regulations raised licence fees sharply, and petitioners took the matter to the courts.
The release of the new licensed operators would suggest that the stakeholders are slowly sorting out their differences, and are ready to move forward.
More Operators to Receive Licences in the Coming Weeks
The GRA says it will update the list of licensed betting sites periodically and notify the public as it does, so more operators are expected to be added.
Several well-known names don't appear on this first list so it is almost inevitable that more licenses will be handed out.
Under the previous regulatory regime, Kenya had more than 100 licensed betting sites. It is unlikely that there would be that much licensed operators moving forward, with some companies already hinting at departing the market.
Within the last couple of months, Kilibet and Bandabets have announced temporary suspensions of their services in Kenya.
