The Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act, Cap 131 Laws of Kenya provides for the regulation …
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THAT, aware that, the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act, Cap 131 Laws of Kenya provides for the regulation of the gambling industry including the control of betting, lotteries and gaming in the country; further aware that, there is an emerging trend of media houses offering their audiences platforms to participate in betting through lottery- style games, trivia shows, polls, contests and other SMS-based gaming; concerned that the trend was initially perceived as a harmless form of entertainment and audience engagement but has since developed into a problem within our communities leading to many Kenyans getting addicted to this form of gambling and that has led to lots of loss; further concerned that, there are numerous negative effects of this trend including financial ruin, family breakups, high truancy in schools resulting in high school dropout rates and in some cases, suicide; noting that, these games target individuals who can least afford to lose money, mainly the elderly, the youth and low- income earners; cognizant that the Government has the responsibility of protecting citizens from negative social trends including gambling and that the proliferation of these games is a violation of the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act; now therefore, this House resolves that the National Government through the relevant Ministries and agencies to – (i) regulate the running of lotteries and any other forms of betting disguised as polls, contests and other SMS-based gaming by media houses; and (ii) ensure strict operationalization of the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act and increase control and oversight of the betting industry.
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Adopted with amendments (in bold)
Source: parliament.go.ke. Last updated 17 Oct 2026.