Licence suspended or revoked: what it means for a casino in Kenya
Under the Gambling Control Act, 2025 the Authority may suspend or revoke a licence after notice and a chance to respond. Revocation ends the licence and bars the holder for up to five years. Suspension pauses it. The published GRA list has no column for either, so a listed line proves nothing about today.
The short answer
A suspended licence is paused by the Authority and a revoked licence is ended by it. Both can follow a breach of the law, and both are decided after the licensee has been told and allowed to respond. The text is in sections 33 and 34 of the Gambling Control Act, 2025.
For a player, the practical point is narrow: the regulator's published list is a record for the 2025/26 trading period, and it has no status for suspended or revoked. The way to read the list is explained in how to read the GRA list of licensed operators.
Suspension and revocation side by side
| Point | Revocation (s.33) | Suspension (s.34) |
|---|---|---|
| Effect | The licence is ended and must be surrendered to the Authority | The licence is suspended; the Act does not say for how long |
| Ground in the Act | Breach of the Act, a false statement in the application, winding up, or breach of a licence condition | The holder contravenes the Act |
| Notice and hearing | Notice of intended revocation, reasons due within fourteen days | Notice and an opportunity to be heard; the section 33 procedure applies with the necessary modifications |
| Public notice | Regulation 26(9) of the Licensing Regulations | Section 34(3), and regulation 26(9) |
| Later bar | Not eligible to hold a licence for up to five years | No such bar is stated |
| Challenge | Appeal to the Committee within twenty-one days (s.33(9)) | Not stated in section 34 |
How a revocation proceeds
Section 33(2) and (3) require the Authority to serve a notice specifying the grounds and to ask the licensee for reasons within fourteen days of service. The notice must be served not less than twenty-one days before the date of the intended revocation. If no reasons are given in time, section 33(4) says the licence shall cease to be valid.
If reasons are given, the Authority decides whether to revoke, or calls the licensee to make oral representations first (s.33(5)). Under section 33(7) the revocation takes effect when the twenty-one day notice period expires.
Illustrative example. Suppose a notice of intended revocation is served on 1 March 2027. Fourteen days from service is 15 March 2027 (1 + 14 = 15), the last day for reasons. Twenty-one days from service is 22 March 2027 (1 + 21 = 22), the earliest date a revocation can take effect. The dates are invented for the arithmetic and describe no real licensee.
Grounds the regulations add
Regulation 26(1) of the Licensing Regulations, 2026 lists twelve further grounds for suspension or revocation, on notice. Several concern the business itself, and a few touch players directly.
| Ground in regulation 26(1) | What it says |
|---|---|
| (a) | Business not commenced within six months of issue |
| (b) | Operations ceased or suspended for more than three months without approval |
| (f) | Insolvent or unable to conduct operations effectively |
| (g) | Unable or consistently failing to protect the confidentiality of data |
| (k) | Failure to pay the annual licence fee |
| (l) | Failure of the audit requirements |
Under regulation 26(3) the Authority may instead require the licensee to put the breach right within a set period and may impose monetary or other sanctions. A breach therefore does not always end in suspension or revocation.
Two further powers sit in the Conduct of Gambling Operations Regulations, 2026. Regulation 8 lets the Authority suspend a licence within thirty days of finding that capital is below the requirement, and regulation 51 lets it suspend or revoke the authorization of an online platform or system on grounds such as a failed security and integrity test.
What the licensee must do and what you may see
On revocation the licensee must, within seven days of being notified, surrender the licence and cease its business, and failing to do so is an offence (r.26(7) and (8)). It must also take measures to safeguard player deposits, liabilities and personal data (r.26(5)). The Authority must inform the licensee in writing, with reasons, within seven days (r.26(4)).
Section 36(3) requires an online gambling licence to be displayed on the platform. A site may keep showing a number after a suspension, so the display is not proof. Compare it with the register as described in how to check an online casino licence in Kenya.
How to check for yourself
- Read the list heading and date. The list is for the 2025/26 trading period and the regulator's page was last modified on 2026-03-19.
- Search the Gazette and national media. Notices are published there, and a missing line on the list can mean a later change.
- Ask the Authority. Section 39 describes a register that records particulars of any revocation or suspension and is open to the public on payment of the prescribed fee. The regulator's toll-free number is 0800-723-770.
The table of public gaming licence holders on this site copies the same list, so the same limit applies there: see the table of casino brands on the GRA list and check the live page.
If money is involved
If a casino stops paying out, keep screenshots, transaction messages and the terms in force. The steps are in what to do when a casino withdrawal is not paid and the complaint route in how to complain about an online casino. Section 80 of the Act lets a party to an online gambling dispute appeal to the Tribunal within fourteen days from the date of the dispute.
Never treat an unlicensed site as a safe alternative: publishing or soliciting bets for an unlicensed site is an offence under the Act. Adults only, 18+. Gambling is addictive; play responsibly.
Questions and answers
Is a suspended licence the same as a revoked one?
No. Section 33 of the Gambling Control Act, 2025 deals with revocation, which ends the licence and surrenders it to the Authority. Section 34 deals with suspension, which applies the same notice procedure with the necessary modifications. Neither section says that a suspension turns into a revocation automatically.
Will the GRA list show that a licence has been suspended?
Not as a status. The published list has the columns for company, trading name, three licence numbers, status and domain, and its status values are Renewal and New. Section 39 of the Act describes a register that records particulars of any revocation or suspension, so ask the Authority about that register.
How will the public learn of a suspension or revocation?
Section 34(3) of the Act and regulation 26(9) of the Licensing Regulations, 2026 require a notice in the Gazette and in two newspapers of nationwide circulation or any media of national coverage. Regulation 26(9) adds that the grounds are published too.
What happens to my balance if a casino loses its licence?
Regulation 26(5) of the Licensing Regulations, 2026 requires the licensee, on revocation, to take measures to safeguard player deposits, liabilities and personal data. The text does not set a payout date. Keep your records and use the complaint route in the guide on complaining about an online casino.
Can a casino challenge a revocation?
Yes. Section 33(9) of the Act lets a person aggrieved by the decision appeal to the Committee within twenty-one days of the date the decision was conveyed to the licensee. A revocation notice is therefore not always the last word on the matter.
Sources
- Gambling Control Act, 2025 (No. 14 of 2025), ss.33, 34, 36, 37, 39, 80, accessed 2026-10-12
- Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations, 2026 (L.N. 111), r.26 and r.27, accessed 2026-10-12
- Gambling Control (Conduct of Gambling Operations) Regulations, 2026 (L.N. 112), r.8 and r.51, accessed 2026-10-12
- Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya, Licensed gaming companies for the trading period 2025/26, accessed 2026-10-12