What records to keep before you complain about an online casino
Keep the operator's licence details, your account identifier, every deposit and withdrawal reference with date and amount in KES, the game rules and terms as they stood on the day, and all written messages with customer care. The Act gives a dispute only fourteen days (s.80), so save them at once.
Why records come before the complaint
A complaint is a set of facts: who, when, how much and what the operator said. The facts only help if you can show them, and some of them live on screens that change or on a balance that may be adjusted. Save them before you write, not after the operator has replied.
Time is the second reason. Section 80 of the Act allows a party to an online gambling dispute to appeal to the Tribunal within fourteen days from the date of the dispute. The full order of steps is in how to complain about an online casino in Kenya; this page covers only what to hold in your hands when you start.
The records, and what each one proves
Each row below pairs a record with the point it supports and the provision that gives that point its weight. Where no rule is named, the record is simply good practice and the law read for this guide does not require it.
| Record | What it shows | Why it matters in the rules |
|---|---|---|
| Company name, trading name, licence number, domain | Who you are complaining about | Duties such as the customer care centre (Act, s.68(8)) belong to licensees, so the licensee must be identified |
| Account identifier and registered phone number or email | Which player account is involved | A licensee must keep a player's account for each registered player (Act, s.73(1)) |
| Deposit references from mobile money or the bank | That money reached the operator, with date and amount in KES | An online gambling transaction starts when you deposit (Act, s.69) |
| Withdrawal request and payment references | The date you asked, the amount, and whether any part was paid | Prize payment limits and the 14-day non-payment rule run from dates (Act, s.70; Operations Regulations, r.104) |
| Screenshots of balance, game round and error messages | What the screen displayed, at what time | Supports a dispute about a bet or its settlement (Operations Regulations, r.24) |
| Game rules and terms, saved with the date | The rules in force when you played | A licensee must make game rules available to players (Act, s.72(6)); terms may not be varied without approval (r.22(6)) |
| All messages with customer care | What you reported, when, and the answer | The customer care centre exists to resolve complaints before they reach the Authority (r.9(2)(c)) |
"Operations Regulations" means the Gambling Control (Conduct of Gambling Operations) Regulations, 2026. The licence details in the first row should be copied from the regulator's list, using the steps in how to check an online casino licence in Kenya.
How to save each kind of record
Identity of the operator
Copy the company name from the site's footer or terms and match it to the entry on the regulator's list. The list describes the 2025/26 trading period, so check the live version on the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) website. If you cannot find the number on the site, where to find a casino licence number shows where it usually appears.
Payment trail
Mobile money messages and bank statements are produced outside the casino, which makes them the most dependable records of movement of money. Keep the original message or statement line, not only a retyped figure. Write a one-line index: date, direction (in or out), amount in KES, reference.
What was on the screen
A screenshot should show the balance, the date and time, and enough of the page to show which game or section it is. Take one before the problem is explained to you and another after, if the figures change. Do not crop away the clock.
Rules and terms
Print or save the terms page and the rules of the game involved as a file, and note the date saved. Regulations 22 to 24 speak of bookmaking, betting and settlement of bets, so for casino games the safest anchor is the general duty in section 72(6) of the Act that game rules are made available to you.
Messages
Prefer written channels, such as email or the site's text chat, over phone calls. If the only channel is a call, write down the date, time, the name given and what was said immediately afterwards. Save the full thread, including your own messages.
A simple timeline sheet
Put the records on one page in date order. A timeline lets a customer care officer or the Authority see the sequence without searching your folder. Use plain columns: date and time, what happened, which file proves it.
Illustrative example: a withdrawal of KES 8,000 was requested on 1 September and the first reply from customer care came on 4 September. The sheet would show three entries: the request with its screenshot, the reference of any partial payment, and the message of 4 September. The gap between the request and the reply is 4 - 1 = 3 days, a figure the sheet makes visible at a glance. Whether that gap breaches a rule depends on the prize tier, which casino withdrawal not paid in Kenya sets out.
What records cannot do
Records support a complaint; they do not decide it. The Authority may investigate a licensee on information from any person (Act, s.37), but neither the Act nor the regulations read for this guide state a deadline for it to answer an individual complaint. If the matter reaches the Tribunal, what the Gambling Appeals Tribunal is explains its role.
Records also cannot reach an operator that is not on the list. Before spending time on a bundle, look at the table of public gaming licence holders on the GRA list and confirm that the company appears there.
Keep the folder safe
The folder will hold your phone number, account details and payment references. Store it where only you can open it, send copies and not originals to anyone, and never include your account password or one-time codes in any message or file.
Gambling is addictive. If a dispute is also affecting your wellbeing, the responsible gambling page lists the GRA toll-free line and the self-exclusion process. The line is 0800-723-770. 18+. Play responsibly.
Questions and answers
Do I need records if the casino is licensed and I only want to ask a question?
Records are not required to ask a question, but a complaint is much easier to follow with dates, amounts and references in one place. Regulation 9 of the Operations Regulations expects the customer care centre to resolve complaints, and a clear written account of the facts is what it works from.
Does the casino keep its own records of my account?
Yes. Section 73 of the Act requires a licensee to establish and maintain a player's account for each registered player and to credit to it all funds received from or owed to the player. Your own copies still matter, because a dated record you hold does not depend on what the operator chooses to show you later.
Should I send originals or copies to the regulator?
Send copies and keep the originals. The Authority's complaints page describes a signed form delivered to its Nairobi office, so a paper bundle of printed copies and a digital folder with the same files is a sensible way to hold the material.
Is a screenshot enough on its own?
A screenshot is a useful record only if it shows the date and time, the account and the amount. Pair it with a mobile money or bank reference, which comes from a different system and confirms that the money actually moved.
What if the casino changed its terms after I joined?
Save the version you can see now, with the date you saved it. Regulation 22(6) of the Operations Regulations says terms and conditions of bookmaking, pool betting and totalizator shall not be amended without approval from the Authority, and regulation 23(2) bars altering the terms of a bet after it has been accepted. A dated copy of the terms lets you point to what changed.
Is there a deadline I should record?
Yes. Section 80 of the Act says a party to an online gambling dispute may appeal to the Tribunal within fourteen days from the date of the dispute. The Act does not say when that date falls or whether it pauses during a complaint, so write down the day the problem began and take legal advice early.
Sources
- Gambling Control Act, 2025 (No. 14 of 2025), ss.37, 68, 69, 70, 72, 73, 80, accessed 2026-10-12
- Gambling Control (Conduct of Gambling Operations) Regulations, 2026 (L.N. 112), r.9, r.22, r.23, r.24, r.103, r.104, accessed 2026-10-12
- Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya, licensed gaming companies for the trading period 2025/26, accessed 2026-10-12