Who can hold an online casino licence in Kenya?
Only a body corporate with at least thirty per cent of its shares held by Kenyan citizens, paying gambling money into an account at an authorised financial institution registered in Kenya (Act, s.29). A foreign operator must also be registered in Kenya and have a registered physical address here (s.79).
The short answer
An online casino licence in Kenya goes to a company, not to a person. Section 29 of the Gambling Control Act, 2025 sets two tests that every gambling licence applicant must pass: be a body corporate with at least thirty per cent Kenyan citizen shareholding, and keep an account at an authorised financial institution registered in Kenya for all licensed gambling money.
Passing those tests only makes a company eligible to be considered. The Authority then vets the application under section 30. The wider list of duties after licensing is in what Kenyan law requires of an online casino.
The eligibility tests at a glance
| Test | What the law says | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Legal form | Body corporate | Act, s.29(a) |
| Kenyan shareholding | At least thirty per cent of shares held by Kenyan citizens | Act, s.29(a) |
| Local account | Account with an authorised financial institution registered in Kenya, receiving all licensed gambling money | Act, s.29(b) |
| Foreign operator: registration | Registered in Kenya, with a physical address registered in Kenya | Act, s.79(1)(a) and (b) |
| Foreign operator: accounts | Audited books of accounts for the immediately preceding year | Act, s.79(2) |
| Suitability | Solvency, qualifications and experience, other regulators' licences, fit and proper | Act, s.30(3) and (4) |
| Tax standing | Valid Tax Compliance Certificate and PIN certificate from the Kenya Revenue Authority | Licensing Regulations, r.11(2)(b) |
What the thirty per cent rule does and does not say
The rule counts shares held by Kenyan citizens. It sets a floor, not a ceiling, so a company with a larger Kenyan share also meets it. The Act text quoted here does not say how indirect holdings through another company are counted, so that question is for the Authority.
Section 79(5) is the one carve-out. A foreign based operator that applies under section 79(4), because it does not intend to carry out online gambling in Kenya, is exempt from section 29(a). That route is not a licence to serve Kenyan players.
Extra conditions for a foreign operator
Section 79(1) says a foreign based operator shall only be issued with an online gambling licence where it is registered in Kenya, has a physical address registered in Kenya and meets the requirements the Authority prescribes in regulations. Section 79(2) adds the audited accounts for the preceding year.
A licence from another jurisdiction does not substitute for these steps. The question is covered in whether a Curacao or Malta licence is valid in Kenya.
How the Authority tests suitability
Section 30(3) lists what the Authority considers for the body corporate and its directors: financial status or solvency, qualifications or experience, and the status of any licence or approval granted by a financial sector regulator. Section 30(4) lets it ask whether the applicant or its directors contravened investor protection law, were directors of a licensed person under liquidation, or took part in a business practice proven to be fraudulent or improper.
Regulation 20(5) of the Licensing Regulations adds the background, reputation, integrity and experience of proposed significant shareholders, directors and senior officers, and the adequacy of the capital structure. Under section 30(5) the applicant must be given a chance to be heard before the fit and proper decision.
What an online casino applicant must bring
Regulation 11(2) lists the documents that accompany an online casino application. Regulation 19 makes a person eligible for a licence if it meets sections 29 and 30 of the Act and the Regulations.
| Item | Source |
|---|---|
| Application fee from the Second Schedule | r.11(2)(a) |
| Tax Compliance Certificate and PIN certificate | r.11(2)(b) |
| Proposed gambling control system | r.11(2)(c); Act, s.67(2) |
| Declarations from the Act's Second Schedule, including certificate of incorporation, list of directors and beneficial ownership disclosure | r.11(2)(d); Act, Second Schedule (a), (i), (j) |
| Proof of gambling capital from the Third Schedule | r.11(2)(e); Act, s.41 |
| Evidence of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing compliance | r.11(2)(f) |
| Proposed platform, domain name and games provider from a supplier licensed by the Authority, with a copy of the agreement | r.11(2)(g) |
Money the applicant must show
Three separate money requirements apply. The fees are paid to the Authority, the gambling capital is proof of resources, and the security is an insurance bond or bank guarantee that the Authority may use against the licensee's liability (s.40(2)).
| Item (online casino) | Amount in KES | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | 5,000,000 | Second Schedule, online licence table |
| Licence fee | 50,000,000 | Second Schedule, online licence table |
| Annual operating licence fee | 5,000,000 | Second Schedule, online licence table |
| Gambling capital, online casino | 100,000,000 | Third Schedule to the Regulations |
| Security, online gambling | 100,000,000 | Third Schedule to the Act |
Illustrative example: the application fee of KES 5,000,000 plus the licence fee of KES 50,000,000 gives KES 55,000,000 in fees before the first annual operating fee. Adding the annual operating fee of KES 5,000,000 gives KES 60,000,000. The capital and the security are not fees and are not added to that total.
Who the licence belongs to, and who stays out
The Regulations define a licence as assigned to a specific person that may not be re-assigned. The same definition says it may be cancelled if the conditions are violated. Directors, significant shareholders and day-to-day managers fall under the term "key gambling employee", and regulation 17 asks each to apply for their own licence.
Three rules narrow who can stay in or return. A person who knowingly makes a false statement in an application commits an offence (s.30(6)). The Authority may refuse a licence where the application information is false in a material particular (s.32(1)(a)). A revoked licensee is ineligible for up to five years (s.33(8)).
Checking the holder yourself
A player cannot see the shareholding. What a player can see is that the holder of an online gambling licence must display the licence on its online platform (s.36(3)), and that the Authority keeps a register of licences recording name, activity, expiry and any suspension (s.39(1)).
- Read the company name and licence number shown on the site.
- Match them to a line on the regulator's list, which describes the 2025/26 trading period and was last modified on 2026-03-19.
- Compare again against the live page and ask the Authority about anything the list does not show.
The steps are written out in how to check an online casino licence in Kenya, and the term of the licence is discussed in how long a GRA casino licence lasts. The filtered copy of the list is in the table of casino brands on the GRA list.
If a company does not qualify and operates anyway
Section 28(1) says no person may offer a gambling activity unless it is licensed under the Act. The consequences for unlicensed operators are summarised in the penalty for an unlicensed online casino in Kenya. Gambling is addictive: play responsibly, and keep to the 18+ rule.
Questions and answers
Can an individual hold an online casino licence in Kenya?
Not on the wording of section 29 of the Gambling Control Act, 2025. It says a person shall not be licensed to offer gambling unless that person is a body corporate in which at least thirty per cent of shares are held by Kenyan citizens. A natural person is not a body corporate.
Can a foreign company hold an online casino licence?
Section 79(1) allows it only where the operator is registered in Kenya, has a physical address registered in Kenya and meets the requirements prescribed in regulations. Section 79(2) adds audited books of accounts for the preceding year.
Does the thirty per cent rule apply to every foreign operator?
Section 79(5) exempts from section 29(a) a foreign based operator that applies under section 79(4), meaning one that does not intend to carry out online gambling activities in Kenya. An operator that does intend to serve Kenya is not covered by that exemption.
Can a licence be sold or passed to another company?
No. The Licensing Regulations, 2026 define a licence as assigned to a specific person that may not be re-assigned to another person. A new holder would have to apply for its own licence.
Can a company whose licence was revoked apply again?
Section 33(8) of the Act says a licensee whose licence has been revoked is not eligible to hold a licence under the Act for a period not exceeding five years from the effective date of the revocation.
Does appearing on the GRA list prove that a company met these tests?
The list shows that the company is named by the regulator for the 2025/26 trading period. It does not publish the shareholding, the account or the fit and proper findings, so the list is evidence of a licence line, not a copy of the application.
Sources
- Gambling Control Act, 2025 (No. 14 of 2025), ss.28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 36, 39, 40, 41, 67, 68, 79, 122 and Second and Third Schedules, accessed 2026-10-04
- Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations, 2026 (L.N. 111), definitions, r.11, r.17, r.19, r.20, r.21 and Second, Third and Fourth Schedules, accessed 2026-10-04
- Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya, Licensed gaming companies for the trading period 2025/26, accessed 2026-10-04