The Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government oversees the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB). The Betting Lotteries and Gaming Act, Cap. 131 Laws of Kenya, which established the Board, is a piece of parliamentary legislation. Its mission is to ensures that gaming is conducted honestly, responsibly and competitively with minimum cost but maximum contribution to society, and that it is free from criminal activities
The board core mandate is the control and licensing of Betting and Gaming premises and the activities carried therein; for the imposition and recovery of taxes, for the authorization of lotteries and prize competition as well as eradication of illegal gambling.
There are other functions as well:
- To regulate and control betting, lotteries and gaming
- To protect members of the public against fraud
- To eradicate illegal gambling
- To promote responsible gaming
- Supervising and Inspecting Betting and Gaming Activities
- Presiding over Public Lottery and Prize Competition draws
- Conducting spot checks on betting, Lotteries and Gaming Operations Country wide
- Authorizing amusement machines and pool tables
Read Also: Gaming Board of Tanzania Review
The board is modelled on this core values that enhances its operations:
- Integrity
- Transparency
- Accountability
- Professionalism
- Equity
Currently, they do give licenses on:
- Public Gaming- Refers to casinos and the activities carried therein such as slot machine and table games.
- Bookmakers- Implies sports betting, pool betting schemes and Totalizators
- Public lottery( short term and annual)- Public Lotteries are conducted by registered institutions or organizations to raise funds for charitable purposes under section 36 of the Act and must be for a charitable cause that is on- going. The long-term public runs for a period of one year or more or short term which takes 3 months. The public takes part in lotteries by buying raffle or lottery tickets, draws are conducted to determine the winners who are awarded with prizes.
- Prize competition- Prize competition is the promotion of goods/products or services owned by the promoter. In a prize competition there must be a product being promoted and entry to the promotion is based on the consumption of that product. The consumer must get value for money and entry to the promotion is free
- Pool Table and amusement games
- Totalizator- This is a form of betting where participants compete by predicting the outcome of sporting events such as horse racing or football. The winners paid based on the amount of the money they have played. An organization markets itself by giving prizes to those who participate in its activities to boost its sales.
To learn more on charges and procedures in applying the license, visit the BCLB website.
