Can you take an online casino to court in Kenya?

The Gambling Control Act, 2025 builds a specific route: a dispute over online gambling goes to the Gambling Appeals Tribunal within fourteen days (s.80), and a Tribunal decision may be appealed to the High Court within fourteen days (s.90). The Act read for this guide does not say whether a separate civil claim is also open, so ask an advocate.

By Online Casino Kenya Editorial (prepared with AI tools under our editorial policy) · Last updated 2026-10-16

The short answer

The Act sets out a route for gambling disputes, and it runs through the Gambling Appeals Tribunal before the High Court. Whether you may also start an ordinary civil claim is not answered in the Act, the Licensing Regulations or the Operations Regulations read for this guide.

So this page describes what the texts do say, flags what they leave open, and does not give legal advice. For a sum that matters to you, ask an advocate early, because the periods in the Act are short.

First, confirm who you are dealing with

Every protection below attaches to a licensee. Start by checking the casino's licence against the regulator's list and write down the company name and licence number exactly as listed. The table of public gaming licence holders describes the 2025/26 trading period, so confirm against the live GRA list as well.

The route the Act provides

The written steps for stages 1 and 2 are in how to complain about an online casino in Kenya. The Authority's toll-free line is 0800-723-770.

Where a court appears in the Act

Section 90 states that a person aggrieved by a decision of the Tribunal may appeal to the High Court within fourteen days from the date of the decision. That is the court step the Act spells out for a player or operator who has been through the Tribunal.

The Tribunal is chaired by a person qualified to be a judge of the High Court, and a hearing panel has at least three members, one of whom is an advocate of the High Court (ss.88(2), 91(3)). What the Gambling Appeals Tribunal is describes its make-up and what it hears.

What the Tribunal can hear

Section 88(9) says the Tribunal hears appeals against any decision of the Authority or the National Lottery Board, complaints arising out of the outcome of a gambling transaction, and complaints arising out of the functionality of gambling machines and equipment. A matter may also be prescribed under the Act or referred by the Board.

A dispute over an unpaid prize or a cancelled win is, on a plain reading, a complaint arising out of the outcome of a gambling transaction. Whether your particular facts fit is a question for the Tribunal or an advocate.

The fourteen days: a worked reading

Illustrative example: a casino tells you on 1 March that a win has been cancelled. If the dispute is taken to date from that message, fourteen days from 1 March ends on 15 March. A complaint that sits with the customer care centre for ten days has then used most of the period before the Tribunal is approached.

The Act does not say whether the period runs from the cancellation, from the operator's final reply or from some other event. The safe working assumption is the earliest date the dispute could be said to have arisen. Keep every date, using the list in what to keep as evidence in a casino dispute.

What the texts leave open

• Whether a civil claim in an ordinary court can run alongside or instead of the Tribunal route.
• The detailed Tribunal procedure, which section 88(12) leaves to regulations not read for this guide.
• A procedure for a player to claim against the security a licensee deposits.
• Any rule allowing recovery of losses from fair play.

Where the texts are silent, this guide gives no answer rather than a guess.

If the money is simply unpaid

Regulation 104 deals with non-payment of winnings. A licensee that fails to pay within 14 days is liable to a penalty of 5% of the total winnings payable to the Authority, and must pay the player the outstanding amount plus interest at 5% per day from the lapse of the 14 days for the next 21 days until payment in full. The practical steps are in what to do when a casino withdrawal is not paid.

If the casino has no Kenyan licence

Operating any form of gambling without a valid licence is an offence under section 98 of the Act, and section 92(c) makes it an offence to solicit a person to bet on an unlicensed site. The consequences for operators are covered in the penalty for an unlicensed online casino.

The texts read for this guide create no route for a player to recover money from such an operator. You can report the site to the Authority, but you should not assume that report returns a balance. Play responsibly, and see the responsible gambling page if a dispute is affecting you.