What the Gambling Regulatory Authority Kenya licence round changed on 24 September 2026
The Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations, Legal Notice No. 111 of 2026, were gazetted on 29 June 2026. Regulation 30 kept the old licences alive for sixty days after that, and the Authority then fixed one expiry date for all of them, 24 September 2026.
From 19 August 2026 the application window was open on the operator portal at operator.gra.go.ke. Director General Peter M. Karimi asked every operator, local or foreign, to read the Act before filing, because the new licence carries conditions the BCLB paper never had.
The register on gra.go.ke still shows the 2025/26 trading period, with 22Bet as Nuntis Holdings Limited under BK 0001293 and Melbet as Game Tosha Limited under BK 0001174. A 2026/27 table had not been posted by 31 October 2026.
Online bookmaker licence fees under Legal Notice 111
The fee that drew the headlines is the online bookmaker licence at KSh 50 million, up from KSh 8 million in the March 2026 draft. With the application fee and the annual operating fee on top, the first year of an online book costs KSh 60 million before a single slip is paid out.
| Item | Online bookmaker | Betting shop |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | KSh 5,000,000 | KSh 2,500,000 |
| Licence fee | KSh 50,000,000 | KSh 5,000,000 |
| Annual operating fee | KSh 5,000,000 | KSh 1,500,000 |
| Validity | 1 year | 3 years |
An online casino licence carries the same price, and an online lottery KSh 20 million. The hybrid licence that covered four products in the draft was removed. A renewal has to be filed at least 90 days before expiry, and the Authority decides a complete application within 30 days.
The fee lands on the bookmaker, and the operator passes it on through the odds it offers rather than through a line in your cashier. That is why the price on a Harambee Stars qualifier is worth comparing between a licensee and an offshore book this season.
The High Court case over the fees
Two petitioners took the regulations to the High Court in Judicial Review E251 of 2026. On 20 July 2026 Justice William Musyoka granted leave and stayed the whole set of rules. On 7 August 2026 he narrowed the stay to the fee increases in the Second Schedule and the capital thresholds in the Third Schedule.
On 24 August 2026 the court let the Authority collect the fees while the case ran, against an undertaking to refund them if the rules fall. The Association of Gaming Operators Kenya and Safaricom joined as interested parties. Judgment was listed for 2 October 2026.
Until the court's final word is published, a bookmaker that paid the fee is licensed and trading. One that did not pay stopped being a licensee on 24 September 2026.
How to check a brand's GRA licence after the renewal
Open the brand's site on your phone and scroll to the footer. A licensee prints the company name and a number that starts with BK for betting, PG for gaming or PL for a lottery, and the same name and number appear on the Authority's register.
A footer that still names the BCLB describes a licence that ended in September. Ask the brand's support for its Gambling Regulatory Authority number before you deposit, and keep the reply.
Among the brands in the Kenya ranking, 22Bet, Melbet, 1xBet, 888Starz and Mozzartbet carried BK numbers on the 2025/26 register. The betting apps page shows which of them publish an iOS build, and the excise post works through the deposit tax that applies at every licensee.
Your money is unchanged by the licence round. A KSh 1,000 deposit at a licensee still carries KSh 50 of excise, and a KSh 2,000 payout still arrives as KSh 1,900 in M-Pesa.
The Authority's next cycle, for 2026/27, is already being drafted. Its Director General said on 29 October 2026 that it will add a licence for prediction market operators.
Questions about the licence round
Did the 2026 licence round change the betting tax?
No. The licence fees are paid by the bookmaker to the Authority. A punter at a GRA licensee still pays the 5% excise on each deposit under the Finance Act 2026 and gives up 5% of each payout in withholding tax. A KSh 1,000 deposit carries KSh 50 and a KSh 2,000 payout lands as KSh 1,900.
Is a BCLB licence number in a bookmaker's footer still valid?
A BCLB number belonged to a licence that the Authority ended on 24 September 2026. The brand had to apply for a new licence from the Gambling Regulatory Authority to keep trading. Ask the brand for its GRA number if the footer still names the BCLB.