Betting and gambling in Nairobi will be cashless and conducted only after 6pm should a proposed amendment to the Nairobi City County Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act, 2021 by a Nairobi MCA see the light of day.
This means there will only be mobile money use meaning those below 18 years will be locked out.
The time restriction will also extend to mobile betting where companies running such gaming activities will be required to close their paybills and Apps until after working hours.
According to South B MCA Waithera Chege, this is part of legislative proposals that she will push to be captured in the Act in order to further regulate the gaming sector in the devolved unit. She said the first proposal will see betting and gambling restricted to only after productive hours, a departure from current situation where gaming time has been left open.
This, the MCA explained, will help secure productive hours among residents and avoid wastage of time by some youth who are addicted to gambling spending the entire day in betting and gaming dens.
“We shall be seeking to reduce as well as limit productive human hours spent at these establishments by our youth who need to stay active to secure the future of this country by introducing regulations that shall give effect to this endeavour,” said Ms Chege.
Further, gaming firms will have to adopt cashless transactions for betting within the county so as to protect minors from participating in such activities. “Going cashless will mean that those still going to school cannot register to have mobile gaming accounts as they don’t have identification cards,” said the deputy majority whip.
City Hall in May this year began effecting the Act after acting governor Ann Kananu assented to the mother bill in April 22, 2021.
Supporting her is Waithaka MCA Anthony Kiragu who said betting and gambling are quickly turning into a national disaster with every sector of the population from the young to the old, boda boda riders and even professionals involved. “Time is now that we regulate the gambling sector. In radio and televisions, it is all about betting and gambling. Gambling should not be easily accessible to the working population and so we want the firms to be more responsible,” he said.
Mr Kiragu pointed out that Nairobi alone has 22 casinos yet Russia has only two while China has restricted the casinos to a region and have a law banning its citizens from gambling reserving the same for foreigners and tourists.
“In Israel, gambling is only permitted on air and not on land. The national betting licensing board and the Nairobi City County Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Control Board must have sharp teeth to bite,” he added.
The MCAs also want the board to ban any advertising within the vicinity of the premises for betting and gaming establishments in the county.
