This archive report was first published on 10 July 2021.
On July 10, 2021, Kenya's Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) took a significant step to curb the misuse of prize competition licences by banning radio stations from running lotteries and prize competitions.
The move aims to prevent radio stations from turning into betting shops, where listeners are enticed to bet their money in exchange for prizes. BCLB stated that some radio stations have been conducting 'unauthorised gaming activities' and have disregarded the watershed hours and gaming advertisement guidelines.
However, stations with a gaming permit will be allowed to run lotteries, but they must conduct draws witnessed by officers from the Board as per the law. The regulatory body also emphasized that the paybill account numbers used in the competition must be in the name of the entity carrying out the promotion and not the radio station.
The ban is a blow to radio stations, which had turned to lotteries to shore up revenues as business struggled with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of these lotteries and competitions were not held in a transparent manner, often left to radio presenters to pick winners, creating a loophole for fraud and conspiracies.
BCLB warned that failure to adhere to the new directive will result in the withdrawal of permits and action taken against radio stations involved. The move is a significant step towards regulating the gaming industry in Kenya and preventing the misuse of prize competition licences.
