Self-Exclusion and Account Limits in Kenya

There are three levels of control over your betting, from light to absolute: limits on one account, a time-out or self-exclusion on one account, and national self-exclusion that covers every licensed operator in Kenya. Each has a place. This page explains how they work and how to use them, with the rules taken from the Gambling Control Act 2025 and the regulations made under it in 2026.

Level 1: deposit, loss and session limits

Under the 2026 regulations (L.N. 112, r.84), licensed operators must give players real-time tools: deposit limits per day, week and month, loss limits, session limits and reality checks. A deposit limit caps what can be paid in; a loss limit caps what can be lost over a period; a session limit ends your time online after a set length; and a reality check interrupts play to show how long you have been at it and what you have spent.

Set them before you need them, on a calm day, not during a losing evening. A sensible starting point is a weekly deposit limit equal to what you would happily spend on a night out, and a loss limit below that. Lowering a limit should apply straight away; if raising one takes time to come into effect, that delay is protecting you.

Level 2: a time-out or self-exclusion on one account

Licensees must offer self-exclusion of at least 24 hours. A short break — a day, a week, a month — closes your access to that operator for the period chosen. It is useful after a bad run or before a period when you know you will be tempted, such as a big tournament. It does not stop you opening an account with another operator, which is why the national register exists.

Level 3: national self-exclusion through the Authority

Section 115 of the Gambling Control Act 2025 allows a person to self-exclude from all licensed gambling, including online gambling. The Gambling Regulatory Authority keeps a self-exclusion register and notifies every licensee. Under the 2026 regulations:

• You apply to the Authority on Form 1, with a copy of your national ID card or passport.
• You choose either a specific period or permanent exclusion.
• The exclusion can be removed or changed only after the chosen period ends; a person who chose permanent exclusion cannot ask for removal for at least three years.
• Licensees must check the register daily, and must integrate with it within six months of the regulations, which were published on 30 June 2026.
• A family member may also apply to the Authority (r.78).

Two honest caveats. We have not been able to confirm whether the national register is already working in practice across all licensees, since integration was given six months; and we have not found an online version of Form 1 — the Authority's web page describes applying by e-mail or in person, and that page still carries older text from the former Betting Control and Licensing Board. Contact the Authority directly for the current procedure; we do not link to its website, so type the address yourself.

Practical steps alongside self-exclusion

Self-exclusion works better with a few barriers around it. Delete betting apps and bookmarks from your phone. Unsubscribe from operators' SMS and e-mail promotions. Ask your bank whether it can block gambling transactions on your debit card. Keep mobile money for bills and family, and tell someone you trust what you are doing, so that they can help you stick with it.

Where to get help

If betting has stopped feeling like a choice, Gambling Therapy offers free, confidential online support by chat, forum and groups, internationally and in English. A Kenyan national gambling-specific helpline has not been confirmed by an official source, so we do not list one. More on warning signs and support is on the responsible gambling page.

Self-exclusion FAQ

See also: Payment Methods at Bombet · Responsible Gambling · Complaints