Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)

If you’re thinking of launching an online casino in Kenya, the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) is your go-to regulator. Their licensing process might sound long, but once you’ve cracked it, you can offer games of chance with confidence. Here’s how it rolls:

Starting Your Business Registration in Kenya

Before even talking games, you’ve got to sort your business registration in Kenya. Register your company on eCitizen, grab your registration of business name certificate and set up a registered office here. You’ll need at least one director and one company secretary on file. The BCLB also checks you’ve covered all bases—legal, tech, anti-money laundering and accounting—so have your paperwork tight.

The Personnel Check

Next up is the compliance review. BCLB digs into the background of owners, directors and key staff. They’ll run checks with law enforcement and bank references to make sure everyone’s legit. Think of it like a character test: no dodgy history, no surprises.

Crafting Your Business Plan

Once your crew passes muster, you’ll submit a business plan for financial reporting and analysis. BCLB wants to see how you’ll handle HR, software, operations, finances and marketing—plus which hosting provider you’ll trust. Don’t forget to factor in local payment options like M-Pesa and Airtel Money so players can deposit and withdraw in a jiffy.

Financial Requirements

With the green light on your plan, it’s time for a deep dive into financial statements analysis. You must meet the capital thresholds set by BCLB: at least KSh 5,194,805 for smaller (Class D) online casino ops, up to KSh 12,987,012 for top-tier (Class A). After a final audit certification, you’re good to go live and show off your platform in action.

Here are some licensed online casinos under BCLB:

• Betway
• Casumo
• Casino Cruise
• Genesis Casino

After you submit your application, the BCLB gives you provisional go-ahead—usually within 60 days—to hire a BCLB-listed auditor. They’ll perform a system audit certification to verify your platform matches the business plan. Once that’s ticked off, you get your BCLB license (valid for one year and renewable). Overall, you’re looking at anywhere from three months to a year before you can shout "we’re live!"

You might think once you’re licensed, you’re free to mambo poa everywhere. Not quite. The BCLB enforces strict gambling regulations:

• Advertising is only allowed where local rules say so—no blanket promos on national TV without approval.
• Regulators block unlicensed sites to protect punters from scams.
• If you’re not licensed, reputable software vendors won’t touch your platform, and payment providers like M-Pesa will freeze your stuff.

Without a valid gambling license, you’ll struggle to build a decent rep or reach players.

Launched in 2025, the BCLB oversees all betting, lotteries and casino activity in Kenya. Its mission? Fair play, crime prevention and safeguarding under-18s. When remote gaming took off, the Board issued regulations in 2025 that quickly became the standard across East Africa. Thanks to this open approach, Kenya’s online casino scene thrives, fueling jobs, tech growth and even sponsoring EPL teams you love to support on weekends.

Locking down a BCLB license means you can legally offer your casino games across Kenya without worrying about local blocks. As an EAC member country, other regulators in the region respect BCLB approval—so you get instant credibility. And if you want to add a new game category, it’s just a quick add-on to your existing permit instead of reapplying from scratch.

You want to play safe, right? Here’s how you can check if a casino is legit:

• Look for the official BCLB logo at the footer.
• Verify the license number—transparency matters.
• Visit the Betting Control and Licensing Board website and use their licensee register.
• Drop a quick question to customer support: "Hey, got a BCLB license?"

Follow these steps and you’ll be gaming with peace of mind.

Run an online casino without a license and you risk mega fines—up to KSh 65 million—and even jail time. The BCLB can banish your site, blacklist you in the marketplace, and leave you stranded without payment or software partners. In 2025, they tightened up measures to ensure no money links back to sanctioned regions, so expect rigorous background checks on both operators and big-ticket deposits.

The Betting Control and Licensing Board is the backbone of Kenya’s online casino world. They push licensees through detailed financial ratio analysis and compliance review to keep everything above board. Thanks to their rules, you can enjoy slots, table games and live dealers knowing you’re on a platform that’s checked all the boxes.

18+ | Play responsibly – Responsible Gaming KE