New betting sites in Kenya, read against the regulator's list
An unfamiliar betting name on a billboard or in a feed does not tell you whether a licence stands behind it. This site shows the 17 lines marked New on the Gambling Regulatory Authority's list for the trading period 2025/26, explains what the Gambling Control Act, 2025 makes a licensee do from its first day, and sets out how to check a new site before you send it money.
How to use this site
Find the line
Open the lines marked New and look for the trading name you saw advertised. Read the company next to it too: the licence belongs to the company, which must be a body corporate with at least 30% Kenyan shareholding (s.29(a)).
Read what New means
New is a status printed on the line, not a grade: what New means in the status column. The trading period tells you which licensing year the list describes.
Check the site itself
An online licensee must display its licence on its platform (s.36(3)). Match that number to the line, and follow the full check when the domain on the list reads Nil.
Know what it owes you
Before your first deposit a licensee must check your identity, location and age (L.N. 112 r.82). It must offer limits (r.84) and run a complaints process.
Report what does not match
A betting site with no line on the list may be operating without a licence, an offence under s.98. How to report it to the Authority.
Guides by question
- New licensees
What the New status on the regulator's list means and how to read a new line.
2 published
- Checking a new site
How to verify a newly launched betting site before you deposit.
2 published
- What a new site must have
The duties the Act and regulations place on every licensee from day one.
3 published
- Early risks
What can go wrong in a site's first months and how the law protects you.
3 published
- Licence lifecycle
Application, duration, renewal, suspension and expiry of a bookmaker's licence.
3 published
- Licence words
Short definitions of the words on a licence line.
2 published
All 17 New lines show Nil for the domain
In the snapshot read on 28 October 2026, not one of the 17 lines marked New records a web address: the domains column reads Nil on every one. Thirteen carry a number in the column headed BK, which holds bookmaker licence numbers, three in the column headed PG and one in PL. The regulator's page does not explain those abbreviations.
A Nil domain does not prove a site is unlicensed, and it does not clear one either. It means the list cannot tie the licence to an address, so the link you were sent needs a second check with the Authority. What a missing domain means, case by case.
What you will not find here
- No rankings. Nothing on this site puts one licensee above another, and no page scores, rates or recommends a betting site, new or old.
- No bonuses. No welcome offer, bonus amount or promotional code is printed here, including for sites that have just launched.
- No operator links. Domains are plain text, exactly as the regulator prints them. Advertising gambling needs the Authority's approval under s.87(1) of the Act, and this site has none.
- No tips or picks. Nothing here tells you what, when or how much to bet.
Questions about the New status
Does New mean a betting site is safe?
No. New is a value in the status column of the regulator's list for the trading period 2025/26: 17 lines carry it and 170 read Renewal. It says nothing about how a site pays out or treats complaints. Those duties come from the Act and the 2026 Regulations and apply to every licensee alike.
How long does a new online betting licence last?
One year. The Act sets 36 months as the default unless regulations prescribe another period (s.31(3)), and the Licensing Regulations, 2026 set one year for an online gambling licence, new or renewed (L.N. 111 r.22 and Fourth Schedule). Renewal must be applied for at least 90 days before expiry (L.N. 111 r.24(2)).
The site I found is not on the list. What now?
Treat it as unconfirmed until the Authority says otherwise. Offering gambling in Kenya without a licence is barred by s.28(1) and is an offence under s.98. Call the GRA toll-free line, 0800-723-770 as shown on the regulator's website, or read how to report an unlicensed betting site.
Can a foreign company run a new betting site for Kenyans?
Only if it is registered in Kenya with a Kenyan physical address and meets the prescribed requirements (s.79(1)). A foreign-based operator licensed under s.79(4) must geo-block Kenyan residents (L.N. 113 r.7(1)). Offering online gambling here without a licence carries fines of up to KES 50,000,000 for a company (s.79(3)).
What must a new site ask before my first deposit?
Proof that you are of the age of majority (s.72(3)), and an identity check, location verification and age assurance check before the account is activated and before the first deposit (L.N. 112 r.82). A site that takes your money first and asks questions later is not following r.82.