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New figures from the Communications Authority of Kenya show gambling advertising spend fell 89% in the quarter to September 2025, dropping to Sh131 million from Sh1.2 billion in the previous quarter. TV took Sh80 million and radio drew Sh51 million, according to the same data.
The slump followed tighter advertising rules issued earlier in June by the Betting Control and Licensing Board. The directive forced betting ads to secure approval before they run, including sign-off from both the BCLB and the Kenya Film Classification Board.
The regulator did not tweak the rules at the edges but it tightened the entire pipeline
The June directive required prior approval and vetting for all gambling ads. It also blocked celebrity, influencer, and content-creator endorsements.
Regulators said they want ads to stop selling betting as a quick win. They also want to cut exposure to minors.
The market is still crowded
The ad spend drop does not mean betting vanished. It means betting firms lost a major route to customers.
Business Daily reported that Kenya had 226 licensed betting firms in the financial year ended June 2025. That is more than double the number from three years earlier.
That growth helps explain why regulators focused on marketing. The fight is no longer only about licensing. It is also about how operators reach the public.
Two things matter from here
First, watch whether betting firms shift spend away from broadcast ads into other channels that still reach users fast. Second, watch enforcement. These rules only work if regulators keep rejecting non-compliant ads and penalising repeat offenders.
For now, the numbers show the message landed. When Kenya tightened approvals and shut the door on influencer-led betting promos, ad budgets fell off a cliff.
Source: Business Daily
