Kenya’s Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) has set up a Player Protection and Research Unit under the Gambling Control Act 2025.

The unit will monitor problem gambling behavior, analyze operator data, and track consumer risk exposure as the regulator expands its oversight of a fast-growing betting market. Authorities linked the change to rising concern about betting activity, particularly through mobile and online channels. The new framework also requires operators to introduce tools such as self-exclusion, cooling-off periods, and clearer warnings about gambling-related risks.

The Gambling Control Act 2025 !

The Gambling Control ACT 2025 broadens the regulator’s mandate to license and supervise all gambling products. That scope includes online betting platforms and digital games that the source describes as higher risk. Alongside the new monitoring unit, the law also criminalizes unlicensed gambling operations and introduces tougher penalties for operators that fail to comply. Kenya’s authorities are also reviewing advertising limits, affordability checks, and stricter age-verification rules after public consultations.

Under the new legal framework, licensed operators must put several player protection tools in place. These include self-exclusion options, which let customers block their access to gambling services for a period, and cooling-off periods, which pause gambling activity temporarily.

Businesses must also provide clearer risk warnings to users. Those measures form part of a broader shift toward closer supervision of an industry that has expanded quickly through online and mobile betting products.

Read Also: Aviator Studio Is Rightful Owner of AVIATOR Trademark in Kenya

Kenya’s Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA)

The Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) of Kenya is the new statutory body established under the Gambling Control Act, 2025. Its mandated to regulate, supervise, and control all gambling activities, replacing the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB). Led by Director General Peter Maina Karimi, it began operations in February 2026 to modernize oversight, enforce stricter licensing, and promote responsible gambling.

The Gambling Control Act 2025.

The Kenyan Gambling Control Act, 2025, signed into law in August 2025, repeals the outdated Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act to create a modern regulatory framework. It establishes the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) to oversee all gambling, including strict regulations on online betting, advertising, and player protection