How long does a GRA casino licence last?

The Gambling Control Act, 2025 sets a default licence term of thirty-six months, or another period set in regulations. The Fourth Schedule to the 2026 Licensing Regulations lists a casino licence at 3 years and an online gambling licence at 1 year. For an online casino, the online entry is the one to confirm with the Authority.

By Online Casino Kenya Editorial (prepared with AI tools under our editorial policy) · Last updated 2026-10-09

The short answer, and why it has two numbers

Section 31(3) of the Gambling Control Act, 2025 says a gambling licence is valid for thirty-six months from the date of issue, or for such other period as may be prescribed in regulations. Section 35 adds that the duration of every licence shall vary for each gambling and betting activity, subject to section 31(3). The actual figures therefore sit in the regulations.

Regulation 22 of the Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations, 2026 sends the reader to the Fourth Schedule. That schedule lists "Casino" at 3 years and "Online gambling" at 1 year, both for a new licence and for a renewal. The text does not say in so many words which entry governs a casino offered over the internet, which is why the Authority should confirm it.

What the Fourth Schedule says, line by line

The table shows only some lines of the schedule. The same schedule gives shorter terms for prize competitions and short term public lotteries (3 months each). Section 67 of the Act and regulation 11 name three online licences: online bookmakers, online lottery and online casino, so the "Online gambling" line is the one that speaks to the online kind.

The Second Schedule has a separate fee table headed "Online licence", with a column for casino. That is a further sign that the rules treat an online casino as its own category and not as a land-based casino with a website.

How renewal works

A licensee asks for renewal on the prescribed form and with the prescribed fee. Section 31(2) requires the application at least three months before the licence expires, and regulation 24(2) requires it at least ninety days before. Regulation 24(3) says the Authority shall issue a successful applicant with a licence within thirty days after the application is made, and regulation 24(4) requires written reasons within fourteen days if the application is rejected.

Illustrative example. Suppose a licence expires on 31 December 2026. Three months before is 30 September 2026. Ninety days before is 2 October 2026: 29 days remain in October after the 2nd, plus 30 in November and 31 in December, which makes 90. The three-month date comes first, so a licensee working to the stricter reading applies by 30 September 2026. The dates are invented for the arithmetic and describe no real licence.

What renewal costs, as the schedule states it

Illustrative example: renewal application plus renewal fee is 2,500,000 + 10,000,000 = KES 12,500,000, before the annual operating fee. These are charges paid by the licensee to the Authority. They are not charged to players and say nothing about the quality of a casino.

When a licence ends early

A term is a maximum, not a promise. Under section 33 the Authority may revoke a licence, for example where the holder is in breach of the Act or the business is wound up, after serving notice and asking for reasons within fourteen days. Section 34 allows suspension, and section 34(3) requires the Authority to inform the public through a notice in the Gazette and in two newspapers of nationwide circulation or any media of national coverage.

Regulation 26(1) adds grounds such as not commencing business within six months of issue, or ceasing operations for more than three months without approval. A site can therefore display a licence number that was real once and is no longer in force.

How to check the end date yourself

Section 36(3) requires a holder of an online gambling licence to display the licence on its online platform. The licence forms in the First Schedule carry a period of validity, so the first place to look is the licence as displayed. Compare it with the regulator's list as explained in how to check an online casino licence in Kenya.

The published list has no expiry column. Section 39 requires the Authority to keep a register that records the date of expiry, and it says the register is open to the public at reasonable times and on payment of the prescribed fee. The regulator's toll-free number is 0800-723-770.

Why the 2025/26 list cannot answer the question

The list is headed for the 2025/26 trading period and the page was last modified on 2026-03-19. Regulation 30 of the Licensing Regulations kept licences issued under the repealed Act in force for sixty days from publication of the Regulations and required their holders to apply for the appropriate licence within that time. A line on the list therefore dates from before that change, and the live page is the one to read.

See how to read the GRA list of licensed operators for the columns, and what a public gaming licence is for the PG column. This site's table of public gaming licence holders that list a domain copies that same list, so the same limit applies. For the wider duties of a licensee, see what Kenyan law requires of an online casino.