Kenyans have flooded social media calling for stricter regulation of gambling content on local TV and radio stations after an exposé revealed that investors behind some of the stations are allegedly swindling viewers through deceptive games.

This comes after NTV aired an investigative piece that implicated a renowned preacher, an owner of multiple TV stations, in what appears to be an elaborate con scheme.

Viewers told to send money to win jackpots that never exist

According to the investigation, the TV stations owned by the cleric run gambling-style segments where audiences are asked to send as little as Sh10 to enter a raffle. Winners supposedly stand a chance to walk away with amounts ranging from Sh50,000 to Sh200,000.

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However, the catch is that the “stake” to win keeps rising. Viewers who send Sh10 are told that a more “ambitious” participant has sent Sh20 or more, prompting others to increase their contributions to outbid the phantom competitor.

It turns out this so-called big spender doesn’t actually exist. The stations allegedly fabricate the figure to keep the game running and lure viewers into sending even more money.

At the end of each segment, the mystery figure is announced as the winner, while the person who sent the highest real amount is declared second and told they were just “unlucky.”

NTV’s investigation found that the winners are staged, and the phone calls aired between the “winner” and the host are conversations between station employees.

The revelations have enraged Kenyans, who are now calling on the government to crack down on religious organizations allegedly exploiting the name of God to steal from desperate citizens.

The game is essentially a rigged auction with a ghost highest bidder.

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Several Kenyans claimed to have lost over Sh5,000 in just a few hours, with some saying they were in financial distress, like struggling to pay school fees, and hoped the show would offer a lifeline.

In one segment, the pastor is even heard coaching his staff on how to maximize earnings from the broadcasts. The gambling often takes place during movie screenings, accompanied by commentary DJs.

Here’s what people are saying online:

@Kakayenu: “Kudos for excellent investigative journalism! Criminals need to be called out! I always knew some of these stations are run by con artists. Where are CA and BCLB in all this??? Could they be abetting these crimes??”

@Halimashaban17: “Thank you for exposing them. It’s shameful how they use children with strange conditions to ask for money. That’s very bad. May God deal with them.”

@StephenMun22556: “Scamming on an industrial scale. Pity how our parents’ generation is still plagued by religious fundamentalism.”

@TwistedStr3it: “But NTV, why blow the cover of this lady, surely? This silhouette is too light. Anyone familiar with the station can easily identify her.”

@KirighaEmmanue1: “Tuko wengi—pia mimi walikula yangu 10k after my wife told me kuna game kwa TV.”

@WANTAM: “Sadly, Favour Life TV (name withheld) was running that scam and went off-air immediately after the exposé aired.”

@Sirkay_7: “Thanks NTV Kenya for exposing this filth and enlightening Kenyans. I wonder why there are so many free-to-air TV channels nowadays, and most of them air nothing but gambling programs.”

@GenzPrince: “Thank you, NTV, for doing what DCI can’t.”

@mcagidakevin: “BCLB and CAK should be disbanded and everyone sent packing. Even CS Kabogo has been compromised by theTV scam.”

@fitzawimbo: “The Daka Mamili website is down after the show. Thank you NMG for the exposure.”

@hesbon_imbuka: “It’s not just this TV station belonging to the false prophet ; others have also been conning people by using sick individuals and showing graphic images. The government remains silent. So sad.”

@geofrey_wageni: “Very terrible and sad… competing in bidding wars with non-existent competitors.”

@dekermoses: “When people stop reading the Bible and fail to be led by the Holy Spirit, while neglecting to question what they’re preached, they become easy prey for conmen.”

@_son_of_morning: “What do you mean by ‘unsuspecting’? There’s a section of Kenyans easily duped. A foolish man will always fall for a get-rich-quick scheme.”

Earlier, the government had announced a suspension of gambling advertisements on TV and radio, citing moral decay and failure by stations to follow regulations issued by the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB).

BCLB stated it will now vet all gambling-related adverts before they are aired.

Several paybills operated by the implicated stations for gambling purposes have also been suspended.

“I won Sh 224k bet but in the morning I had nothing,” says Harrison Mwaura

Harrison Mwaura, a betting addiction counselor and former gambling addict, said the real addiction lies not in the money, but in the dopamine rush, an intense high that keeps gamblers coming back for more.

“It’s not just about placing bets; it’s about the thrill the near-miss, the jackpot chase. Even when you lose, your brain treats it as a near-win. That’s why people never stop. They keep betting, hoping their next win will fix everything.

Society must stop treating gambling addiction as a moral failure. When someone sells land or gambles away rent, it’s not because they’re irresponsible. It’s because they’re unwell. Until we acknowledge that, nothing will change,” he remarked.