By Cindy Kirui
In recent years, Kenya’s gaming industry has become a lightning rod for heated debate. Critics argue that betting platforms exploit vulnerable citizens, fuel addiction, and erode societal values. While these concerns are not entirely unfounded, the narrative often overlooks a critical truth that betting, like many other consumer choices, is a matter of personal agency. No one is forced to place a bet at gunpoint. The industry operates within a regulated framework, and rather than demonising it, Kenyans should focus on fostering a culture of financial discipline and informed decision-making.
A common refrain from opponents of betting is that the industry “preys” on citizens, trapping them in cycles of debt and despair. While problem gambling exists and must be addressed, it is misleading to frame betting as an inherently predatory activity. Millions of Kenyans engage in betting as a form of entertainment, just as others spend money on movies, sports, or dining out. The key distinction lies in individual choices.
To argue that betting companies “force” Kenyans to gamble is to infantilise citizens, stripping them of their inherent and human ability to make personal choices. Adults make decisions daily, some prudent, others reckless about how to spend their money. Should we ban fast food because some people overeat? Should we outlaw alcohol because a minority abuse it? The answer lies not in prohibition but in empowering individuals to exercise self-control. The real issue is not betting itself but the broader societal failure to prioritise financial literacy and restraint.
Kenya’s betting industry is not the lawless jungle, as its detractors tend to claim. The Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) oversees operators, ensuring compliance with laws on age restrictions, advertising standards, and revenue remittance. Licensed firms are required to implement safeguards, such as self-exclusion tools and addiction awareness campaigns. Lest we forget, in 2023, regulators introduced stricter guidelines, including mandatory risk warnings on advertisements and limits on promotional offers.
Critics who dismiss these measures as insufficient should consider the alternatives. A blanket ban on betting would only drive the industry underground, creating unregulated black markets devoid of consumer protections. Moreover, Kenya’s economy benefits from the sector’s contributions in many ways. For instance, thousands of jobs, sponsorship deals for sports and entertainment, and tax revenues that fund crucial public services are supported by the betting industry. As it were, regulation, when enforced rigorously, balances economic interests with social responsibility.
The heart of the matter is not betting but Kenya’s struggle with financial discipline. From impulsive borrowing to lavish spending on non-essentials, poor money management plagues households across income levels. A 2022 survey by the Central Bank of Kenya revealed that 74% of citizens lack a structured savings plan, while mobile lending apps report alarming default rates. Betting is a symptom of this larger crisis, not the cause.
Instead of scapegoating the gaming industry, policymakers and civil society should invest in financial education. Schools, religious institutions, and media platforms must teach citizens and especially youth, how to budget, save, and distinguish between leisure and recklessness. Employers could offer workshops on financial planning, while the government can t incentivise savings through tax breaks or matched contribution schemes.
Personal responsibility cannot be legislated; it can only be cultivated. A bettor who squanders their salary on gambling is likely to be a victim of a syndrome whose cause could be lack of economic opportunity, poor role models, or mental health challenges. These, prohibition cannot cure! Addressing these root causes requires a collective effort far more complex than shutting down betting sites.
Opponents of betting often conflate morality with pragmatism. They argue that gambling “undermines societal values,” yet turn a blind eye to systemic corruption, alcoholism, or the exploitation of workers in other sectors. Why single out an industry that, at least, operates transparently under state oversight?
This selective outrage reveals a paternalistic mind-set wrought in the belief that citizens cannot be trusted to make their own choices. Well, doesn’t freedom more often than not entail risk? In a democracy, adults have the right to spend their money as they wish, provided they do not harm others. The role of the state is to protect citizens from fraud and exploitation, not to micromanage their lives.
Kenya’s betting debate reflects a broader tension between individual liberty and societal wellbeing. While critics are right to demand accountability from operators, their energy would be better spent advocating for stronger financial education and mental health support systems. Regulation must evolve, but so must personal responsibility.
Let us shift the conversation from outrage to empowerment. Teach a young person to resist the lure of quick riches, and you protect them far more effectively than any ban. Encourage households to budget wisely, and you build a society resilient to all forms of financial temptation. Betting is not the enemy, rather, complacency in addressing Kenya’s discipline deficit is.
No law can substitute for self-control.
Cindy is a budding music scholar, human rights activist and a commentator on social affairs
