Casino brand name or licence holder: which name to look for
Look for both. The licence is issued to a company, so the company name is the legal holder. The brand you see on a website is the trading name. The Gambling Regulatory Authority's list shows the two in separate columns, and a claim is only confirmed when both sit on one line.
The short answer
A casino brand is a name for the public. A licence is held by a legal person, usually a company. When you check a casino, you therefore need the company name and the brand name, and you need to find them together.
The full matching method is in the guide to how to check an online casino licence in Kenya. This page is only about the two names and why they differ.
Why there are two names
The licence forms in the First Schedule to the Licensing Regulations, 2026 show the point. The casino form, titled "Public Gambling Licence (Casino)", has a line for "Company Name" and a separate line for "Trading Name". The application form also asks for a "proposed trading name (if different from company name)".
So the regulations expect that the two can differ. A brand such as a website title may be a trading name, while the licensee is the company behind it.
What each name tells you
| Name | Where it appears | What it tells you | What it does not tell you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company name (legal holder) | "Operators Name" column on the list; "Company Name" line on the licence form | Who the licence was issued to | Which websites or apps the company runs |
| Trading name (brand) | "Trading Name" column on the list; "Trading Name" line on the licence form | The name under which the licensed activity is conducted | Who owns the company |
| Domain | "Domains" column on the list | The web address the line names | That every similar address belongs to the licensee |
The licence number is a separate item again. It identifies the licence, not the company, as explained in the guide on where to find the licence number of an online casino.
Which name to search for on the list
Start with the company name if the casino's terms page gives one, because it is the legal holder. If only a brand is shown, search for the brand in the "Trading Name" column. In both cases, finish by reading the whole line: company, brand, the PG number and the domain.
The list is at gra.go.ke/licensed-operators/. Its columns are No., Operators Name, Trading Name, BK, PG, PL, Status and Domains. For casino gaming the number to match is in the PG column; what the columns mean is covered in how to read the GRA list of licensed operators.
The Authority's page was last modified on 2026-03-19 and describes the 2025/26 trading period. Treat it as a snapshot and confirm with the Authority.
Worked comparison
Illustrative example: a site is titled "SampleBet" and its terms say "operated by Sample Gaming Limited". Both names are invented for this example. The table sets each claim against what one list line must show.
| Claim on the site | Column to compare | Match | Mismatch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sample Gaming Limited | Operators Name | Same legal name on the line | Name absent, or spelt as a different company |
| SampleBet | Trading Name | Same brand on the same line | Brand sits on another company's line |
| Licence number in the footer | PG | Same digits on the same line | Digits found only under BK or on another line |
| Web address in the browser | Domains | Same domain on the same line | Domain not listed |
Three of four matching is not a result. If the brand is found on one line and the company on another, the claim has not been confirmed. The difference between the PG and BK columns is explained in PG licence versus BK licence.
Steps for a name check
- Write down the brand shown on the site and the web address in your browser bar.
- Find the company name in the terms page, the footer or the legal page, and copy it exactly, including words such as Limited.
- Open the Authority's list and search for the company in the Operators Name column, then for the brand in the Trading Name column.
- Check that both sit on one line, that the PG column holds a number and that the Domains column names the address you wrote down.
- If any item fails, do not fill the gap with a guess. Record what you saw and ask the Authority.
Why a changed name matters
Regulation 28 says a licence shall not be transferred to another person, and a person who breaks that rule commits an offence. The casino licence form repeats that it is non-transferable. A licence cannot therefore be handed to another company along with a brand; the licensee must be the company named on the licence.
Regulation 29 adds that the licensee must trademark the name under which it conducts its gambling activity and send the registration certificate to the Authority within thirty days of being licensed. The brand is meant to be a recorded name, not a loose label.
What the register is meant to record
Section 39(1)(a) of the Gambling Control Act, 2025 lists "the name, identity and registration number of a licensee" among the entries in the Authority's register. The published list is shorter than that register. If a name on a site does not match the list, ask the Authority on its toll-free line, 0800-723-770, and quote the company, the brand and the domain.
What matching names do not show
Matching names show that the regulator recorded that company and brand together for the period of the list. They say nothing about how the company handles payments or complaints, and this site makes no claim about any operator.
Every casino game carries a house edge, so the expected result of long play is a loss. Gambling is addictive: play responsibly and stay within what you can afford to lose. Help lines and self-exclusion are on the responsible gambling page. This guide is for adults aged 18+.
Questions and answers
Is the casino brand the same as the licence holder?
Not necessarily. The licence forms in the Licensing Regulations, 2026 have a separate line for the company name and for the trading name, and the Authority's list has separate columns for them. The brand is usually the trading name.
What if a site gives only a brand and no company name?
Section 36 of the Gambling Control Act, 2025 asks a licensee to display its licence, and the licence form carries the company name. A site that gives only a brand has shown you half of the claim, so look for the company in its terms or ask the Authority.
Why does the list show a different name from the one on the site?
Either the site uses a trading name that the list records differently, or the site is not describing a licence on that line. The list is a snapshot of the 2025/26 period, so ask the Authority before drawing a conclusion.
Can a licence be passed to another company?
No. Regulation 28 of the Licensing Regulations, 2026 says a person shall not transfer a licence to another person, and the casino licence form states that it is non-transferable.
Must a licensee register its brand name?
Regulation 29 of the Licensing Regulations, 2026 requires a licensee to trademark the name under which it conducts its gambling activity and to submit the registration certificate to the Authority within thirty days of being licensed.
Sources
- Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya, Licensed gaming companies for the trading period 2025/26 (page last modified 2026-03-19), accessed 2026-10-19
- Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations, 2026 (L.N. 111), rr.28, 29, First Schedule, accessed 2026-10-19
- Gambling Control Act, 2025 (No. 14 of 2025), ss.36, 39, accessed 2026-10-19