Kenya legislators propose raising the gambling age to 21 and introducing higher-stake betting zones

The proposal surfaced when the members of the National Assembly were deliberating the Gambling Control Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 70 of 2023), which aims to engineer a regulatory framework for betting, casinos, and other forms of gambling.

Speaking during a parliamentary proceeding on Wednesday, Dagoretti North Beatrice Elachi claimed that the government should increase the age limit of gambling to 21 years and the minimum amount of placing bets to Ksh50 on all betting sites, requirements that she claims will shield youths from irresponsible gambling.

If the bill sails through, according to the MPs, the government will introduce tough sanctions and penalties for any gambling operator who is caught allowing people under the proposed age to gamble.

"We discourage young people from engaging in it, because getting Sh50 is a bit hard. It is like these people are so powerful that they can convince the government to pass a Bill that can be shaped into what they want. What we are doing to our young people is wrong," Elachi said.

Supporting the proposal, the Kikuyu Member of Parliament Kimani Ichung'wah asserted that the bill will also regulate media outlets, especially radio and TV, which he claimed have developed a tendency to advertise gambling even after watershed hours.

“We must have laws like this that discourage irresponsible gambling. It is okay to gamble and bet for the first time, but it cannot be every day of your life. It cannot be usual that so many radio and TV stations were free to encourage the public to bet from as early as 5am,” Ichung'wah said.

The proposal comes two weeks after the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) proposed tougher new measures for gamblers to curb the casual entries of individuals and entities into the gambling ecosystem.

According to the BCLB, Director Peter Mbugi, in a statement on Wednesday, July 16, gamblers will be required to submit a selfie holding their national IDs for registration in gambling sites.