The Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) has directed licensed betting companies in Kenya to cease displaying advertisements on the Opera Browser’s “speed dial” internet feature without permission from the appropriate authorities. BCLB Opera Speed Dial
The decision was made just days after the Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek) petitioned the licensing board to take action against internet browser providers that continued to show betting advertisements in violation of a set of rules that the BCLB had earlier established in an effort to protect children.
A browser speed dial is a visual collection of entries created from a user’s most frequently visited pages on a specific browser. When clicked, the thumbnails for the speed dial entries lead to the corresponding websites or pages.
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On Friday, Cofek said that millions of minors who occasionally have access to smart devices with or without parental or guardian consent are at serious risk due to the ongoing broadcast of betting advertisements.
The consumers’ group, for instance, pointed out that a browser called Opera Mini had introduced a fast dial feature designed especially for Kenya, and that on any given day, it offered five to seven shortcuts to the top betting companies.
The BCLB observes that the adoption of the speed dial feature by gambling providers led to the prominent inclusion of betting services without sufficient consideration for the age, fragility, and other differences of internet users.
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