Betting and gambling in Nairobi has been restricted to five-star hotels with casinos within the capital, as City Hall launches a fresh assault on the multi-billion shilling industry.
Gambling premises have been also been directed to start operating from 8pm to 6am with a four-year jail term or a Sh10 million fine imposed on those opening outside operating hours.
This is part of the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Amendment Bill 2021, which was passed on Tuesday by the county Assembly
South B ward representative Waithera Chege, the sponsor of the amendments, said the Bill is meant to help the youth engage in productive work and prevent gambling addiction.
“All licensed betting, lotteries and gaming premises and online gaming shall only operate within the hours of 8pm and 6am. A person who contravenes this provision will be liable, upon conviction to a fine of Sh10 million, four years imprisonment or both,” she said.
Limiting gambling premises to five-star hotels is a regulation under the Tourism Regulatory Authority.
This means City Hall will only issue operating licences to owners of betting, lotteries and gaming premises who have complied with the regulations.
Contravening establishment regulations will attract a fine of Sh5 million or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both.
A 2017 Geopoll survey ranked Kenya highest in the number of youths engaging in gambling in sub-Saharan Africa.
As a result, Chege raised concerns on why youths are spending a lot of their productive time on gambling.
The report estimated that 76 per cent of Kenyans were taking part in betting, with a majority of them being youth aged between 17 and 35.
The Bill also seeks to push telecoms operators to cancel all the USSD codes used by radio stations in gaming activities.
It also targets mobile betting with firms running gaming activities required to close their paybills and apps until after working hours.
Further, gaming firms will have to adopt cashless transactions for betting within the county to protect minors from participating in such activities, a move that will likely hit gaming companies’ revenue.
“Going cashless will mean those still going to school cannot register to have mobile gaming accounts as they don’t have identification cards,” Chege said.
The premises will be expected to go cashless within six months after the enactment of this Act.
The Bill also imposes a ban on broadcasting of video or audio programming that promotes betting, lotteries and gaming adverts before watershed hours.
“A person shall not erect or display a house signage on any betting, lotteries and gaming activities and premises without approval from county minister responsible for urban and physical planning,” the bill reads in part.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)
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