Find the Best Bookmakers in Kenya 2023 🇰🇪

All said and done, gambling is still booming in Kenya, and everyone is getting into it, from the young to the old, including women. The search ends here for those looking for the best Kenyan betting sites.

While more than a hundred betting sites accept Kenyan players, the experts have settled on the crème de la crème. This is after a rigorous testing process that assessed crucial aspects such as the site's credibility, markets, odds, banking, security, support, and so on. Below are the best betting sites to join today.

Betting in Kenya

Sports betting in Kenya is prevalent today thanks to the government's relatively soft stance on gambling in the beginning. To better understand the gambling landscape in this country, it's essential to understand the history of betting and how it has evolved over the years.

History of betting in Kenya

Kenya has a long history of gambling, including betting. While gambling can be traced back to the old times, it was not until the 50s that betting started. This was a period when several professional sporting events in the country were hosted.

In the beginning, most of the bettors were the country's colonial masters, the British. But in no time, even the locals started betting, and the new habit spread all over, together with other forms of gambling.

Betting nowadays in Kenya

Today, betting is a lucrative industry in Kenya, with gamblers flocking the betting shops in urban and rural areas, as well as the online betting sites.

As early as 2010, several casinos in the capital city were offering top European sports betting markets. This was manual betting where players had to write down their bet slip, pay a cashier at the betting lobby, and the betting shop would buy a ticket on offshore sites on behalf of the player. This was when internet penetration was still low, and only a handful of citizens could access a PC or an internet-enabled mobile device.

At the time, there were very few bettors in the country because of lack of awareness, and more so, there were very few betting shops.

The rise of bookmakers and betting sites

In just a few years, betting shops started sprouting up in the capital and other cities. It was now possible for punters to bet easily because betting shops were now accessible. It didn't take long before the first online betting site was established in 2011.

This was a state-owned betting company. Several other sites were also established, and the offshore operators too got into the mix. Today, there are dozens of locally operated betting sites and plenty of offshore companies that accept Kenyan players.

The influx of betting sites in this country points to the popularity of betting. According to research, Kenya is the third-largest gambling market in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The future of betting in Kenya

The number of bettors in Kenya has shot up drastically in the last five years. Unfortunately, as gambling attracted more and more Kenyans, it contributed to crime and indolence. Many players started engaging in crime to fund their habit, while others substituted work with betting. Well, this is something no government would like to see.

Through the ministry of interior and national security, the Kenyan government imposed a hefty tax to discourage operators and players. However, years later, this has been an effort in futility as gamblers are still wagering despite a 20% cut on the total winnings.

Betting is here to stay

The truth is that betting is here to stay as it has slowly been rooted in the people's culture. With the few millionaires it has made, the sports sponsorships from operators, and the heavy investment in commercials and advertising, it's hard to come by adults who don't know about betting.

Besides, betting companies entice players with lucrative bonuses and promotions, such as welcome and reload bonuses. These incentives attract new players and help bookies in customer retention.

Another aspect fueling the growth of betting in Kenya is access to the internet and the growth of mobile users. Kenya enjoys one of the fastest internet speeds globally, and the top bookies facilitate easy betting even without data. What's more? There are smartphones as cheap as $50 that can access betting sites.

Are betting sites legal in Kenya?

Before getting into betting, players must understand the legality of betting and gambling in general. In this segment, find out whether the laws of Kenya permit betting or it is illegal.

Betting legislation in Kenya

Betting in Kenya, just like many other forms of gambling, is legal. Bettors, as long as they are above the age of 18, are allowed to engage in gambling. Betting operators are also allowed to set up shop in the country as long as they seek licensing from the government and abide by all the rules and regulations stipulated.

Betting, Lotteries, and Gaming Act under CAP 131

Betting legislation in Kenya goes back to 1966 when gambling, including betting, was officially regulated under the Betting, Lotteries, and Gaming Act under CAP 131. The bill triggered the creation of the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) that was mandated to oversee all gambling activities in the country.

The role of the BCLB is to vet betting operators and issue licenses. What's more? It is responsible for ensuring that all bookmakers in the country always play by the rules. The BCLB aims to regulate and control betting, protect citizens against fraud, eradicate illegal betting, and promote responsible gambling.

The BCLB, with the backing of the government, is very strict on anyone who goes against the betting and gambling rules in general. In 2019, for example, the Interior Cabinet Secretary signed deportation orders for 17 foreigners involved in illegal betting. In another show of might, the BCLB suspended the license of the biggest betting site and maintained its stand even after the courts ruled the suspension illegal.

Betting Acts in Kenya

As mentioned earlier, the Betting, Lotteries, and Gaming Act under CAP 131 was the defining legislation that has shaped gambling in Kenya. Under the Act, all betting in the country was under the control of the government. Even though this Act never mentioned online betting explicitly, it was assumed that online betting was legal. Actually, the government went ahead and opened a state-run betting site, the first online bookmaker in the country. This was in 2011, but unfortunately, it never lasted.

The 2019 Online Betting, Lotteries, and Gaming Regulations

The Betting, Lotteries, and Gaming Act under CAP 131 had largely influenced the betting landscape until the coming of The 2019 Online Betting, Lotteries, and Gaming Regulations.

This Act aimed at fully regulating the online gambling sector, which was a gray area at the time now that it wasn't explicitly mentioned in the 1966 Betting, Lotteries, and Gaming Act. This Act articulates several crucial aspects of online gambling, such as the procedure for registration and deregistration, participation channels, e.g. websites and apps, list of betting options, location, and details of the operator's servers payment methods, and so on.

The 2019 Online Betting, Lotteries, and Gaming Regulations also touches on several aspects related to offshore betting sites.

The Proposed New Gambling Act of 2020

This Act, proposed in 2019, seeks to protect young bettors in a country where even the underage are engaging in betting. Besides protecting the vulnerable, this Act wants to review gambling taxes. The law proposes a 35% tax on all gambling adverts while maintaining the existing 20% tax on jackpots. There are also proposals to increase license fees of betting sites to Kshs100 million.

Additionally, the Proposed New Gambling Act of 2020 proposes replacing the BCLB with a new outfit to be dubbed the National Gaming Authority of Kenya. It also seeks to introduce a Gaming Appeals Tribunal to settle gambling-related cases.

Kenyan players' favorite games

So far, soccer is the most popular sport in the country and accounts for a massive chunk of the total money wagered in the local and international online betting sites. Bookmakers in the country offer wide betting markets on the local league and several other mid-tier football competitions. But much of the betting markets are from the top flight leagues in Europe. Remember, clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea have considerable followings in Kenya.

Besides real soccer, there are many fans of virtual soccer. For starters, virtual soccer games are not real games played in real-time but are computer-generated. Virtual soccer betting in Kenya is popular because players have betting markets all day long, and the matches take just a few minutes.

Another popular sport that punters wager on is eSports football. Today, eSports betting is one of the fastest-growing markets in online gambling, attracting fans of the two biggest football simulator videogames, EA Sports' FIFA and Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer (PES).

Other popular games that Kenyan gamblers bet on include basketball, volleyball, rugby, horse racing, American Football, boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Formula 1, etc.

Payment methods in Kenya

Betting operators understand that one of the features bettors are always on the hunt for is flexible deposit and withdrawal methods. For that reason, bookies have partnered with all the leading online payment methods in the country.

Because of regulations, all the locally registered betting sites must use only the four local mobile money transfer services.

The most popular payment method at betting sites is M-PESA, a mobile-based money transfer service, payments, and micro-financing institution owned by Vodafone Group. It allows punters to deposit money to their accounts fast and securely. Literally, players can expect their funds in seconds. This is the same for withdrawals, as long as the wagering requirements have been met.

The other popular payment method is Airtel Money. Though it is not popular, it also facilitates easy, fast, and affordable deposits and withdrawals at betting sites. Other options include YuCash and Orange Money, but many sites don't have them.

The above payment methods are mandatory for sites operating in the country. However, players betting at international sites can opt for international payment systems, for example, PayPal, Neteller, Trustly, Visa, Mastercard, Western Union, Neosurf, Maestro, Payeer, Perfect Money, Qiwi, Skrill, and so on.

FAQs

Why are many Kenyans into betting?

Well, there are several reasons. First, many sports fans in the country bet to pump up the adrenaline when watching their favorite teams play. The fantastic betting bonuses and access to the internet also play a part.

Are Betting winnings taxed

Yes. All winnings from betting are subject to a 20% tax. Betting sites in the country are responsible for deducting the tax and submitting it to the government.

Is betting in Kenya safe?

Kenya may be a hotbed for online fraud, but punters can rest assured that they are safe. This is as long as they play on a licensed and regulated site.

Are there many bettors in Kenya?

There are no official figures, but recent research showed that at least 60% of Kenyans above 18 had engaged in some form of gambling. Bear in mind sports betting is the most popular form of gambling.

Has Kenya banned betting?

No. The Kenyan government didn't ban betting. Instead, it introduced new stringent laws that made several top operators pull out. But at the time of writing, most have come back and are playing by the book.

Most Popular Bookies in Kenya