Nairobi to restrict gambling to five-star hotel casinos – The East African

By COLLINS OMULO

Nairobi has launched a fresh assault on the multi-billion betting industry with legislative proposals that restrict gambling to five-star hotels with casinos and impose a four-year jail term or a Ksh10 million ($87,519) fine for opening outside of operating hours.

The Nairobi City County Betting, Lotteries and Gaming (Amendment) Bill, 2021, currently before the Nairobi County Assembly seeks to restrict the betting and gambling establishmentsin the city to operating between 8pmand 6am.

A man betting on European football games with a mobile phone at sports betting shop. PHOTO | FILE | NMG

If passed, it will mark a departure from the current situation where gamblers can place bets any time of the day.

South B ward representative Waithera Chege, the sponsor of the amendments, said the Bill is meant to have the youth engage in productive work and prevent gambling addiction.

All licensed betting, lotteries and gaming premises and online gaming shall only operate within the hours of 8pm and 6am. A person who contravenes this provision will be liable, upon conviction, to a fine of Ksh10 million or four years imprisonment, or both, said Ms Chege.

The Bill also seeks to push telecoms operators to cancel all the USSD codes used by radio stations in their gaming activities.

Gamblers follow their bets at a betting shop in Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Ms Chege has raised concern about how Kenyans are spending a lot of their productive time on gambling.

A 2017 Geopoll survey ranked Kenya as the country with the highest number of youths engaging in gambling in sub-Saharan Africa.

The report estimated that 76 percent of Kenyans were taking part in betting, with a majority of them being youth aged between 17 and 35.

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Nairobi to restrict gambling to five-star hotel casinos - The East African