The Senate plans wider consultations on disputed gambling regulations.
Senators will consult more stakeholders before deciding whether to revoke disputed provisions on gambling fees and capital requirements.
The Senate will broaden consultations on gambling rules before deciding whether to revoke provisions challenged by industry operators. Private organisations and government agencies will take part in the process.
The announcement on Tuesday, November 3, followed submissions to the Committee on Delegated Legislation. The Association of Gaming Operators-Kenya (AGOK) and the Jockey Club of Kenya raised concerns over procedures and unfavourable provisions.
The committee plans to gather more views before preparing a report for consideration by the Senate plenary.
Operators challenge gambling rules and costs
AGOK asked senators to annul specific provisions and recommend amendments, arguing that authorities had not followed legally required procedures. The association also said several requirements conflicted with the Gambling Act and other written laws.
Beyond those legal objections, operators challenged the fees and minimum capital requirements as excessively high. They argued that these costs could create unnecessary barriers for businesses seeking to enter the gambling industry.
Under the law, online betting operators must hold at least KSh100 million in minimum capital. Retail bookmakers, meanwhile, must maintain KSh50 million.
AGOK also argued that some charges amounted to taxation rather than fees intended to recover regulatory oversight costs.
Earlier appeals to the Executive
During the hearing, Mutegi told the committee that operators had already raised their concerns with the Executive. He cited correspondence to Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s office on July 15 and August 6, 2026.
Mudavadi’s office subsequently forwarded the concerns to the Gambling Regulatory Authority on August 11, 2026. It also proposed a round-table discussion to address the issues raised by the operators.
However, the operators told senators that the authority had yet to respond formally, two months after receiving their concerns. The Senate committee will now consult more Kenyans as it considers the objections and prepares its report.
