In the full year ending in June 2023, Kenyans placed an unprecedented Sh88.5 billion in online bets, defying a harsh crackdown on the industry and harsh levies put in place at the time.
The bets resulted in a significant windfall for the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), which alone received Sh6.64 billion in excise taxes. Gaming companies paid the sum using the new 7.5 percent tax on waged money.
This illustrates how gambling has evolved from a pastime to a full-time economic activity. Kenyans gamble Sh242 million each day, Sh10.1 million per hour, Sh168,333 per minute, and Sh2,806 per second.
