The Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) has issued a sweeping ban prohibiting local celebrities, influencers, and content creators from appearing in any form of gambling advertisement.
In a statement released to the public on Friday, May 30, the board said the move is part of a broader crackdown aimed at promoting responsible gambling and protecting vulnerable groups, especially youth and minors, from the potential harms of betting. The announcement follows a 30-day suspension of all gambling adverts, which began on April 29.
The new guidelines, developed by BCLB in collaboration with a multiagency task force under the Executive Office of the President, spell out strict regulations for all forms of gambling promotion across media platforms.
“Gambling adverts shall not glamorize betting or use celebrities, influencers and content creators to endorse or promote gambling,” the BCLB stated, warning that such tactics can dangerously normalize gambling.
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Additionally, all gambling advertisements must:
Be approved by BCLB and classified by the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB).
Include the operator’s BCLB license number and contact information.
Carry a clear responsible gambling message: “Gambling is addictive! Play responsibly!”
Indicate age restrictions: “Not for persons under 18 years of age.”
Display the phrase “Authorized and regulated by the Betting Control and Licensing Board.”
The ads must not include a call-to-action, associate gambling with social success, or imply that it’s a viable source of income.
“There shall be no form of advertisement placed near schools, religious institutions, or places frequently visited by children such as playgrounds and shopping malls,” the board added.
Media outlets are now required to verify that all betting content has both BCLB approval and KFCB classification before airing. The directive also obligates compliance with the new 2025 Code of Conduct for Media Practices.
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One man’s loss: How addiction rewires the brain
The devastating effects of gambling addiction are not theoretical. Former banker Harrison Mwaura knows firsthand what unchecked betting can do. After winning Sh224,000 from a single bet, he lost it all overnight, only managing to buy a chicken for Sh1,000 before the rest vanished into fresh bets.
“It didn’t feel like real money. It felt like tokens,” he said in a recent interview, warning that addiction hijacks logic.
Mwaura, now an addiction counselor, says gambling isn’t a harmless side hustle but “an emotional problem with financial consequences.” He urges the public to treat gambling addiction as a disease, not a moral failure.
The move by BCLB also comes a few days after NTV ran an exposé on aproclaimed prophet who owns several TV stations that he used to swindle money from Kenyans by running fake jackpots.
