The Nairobi County Assembly is evaluating a possible ban on gambling during daytime hours. Nairobi South elected member Waithera Chege’s Nairobi City County Betting, Lotteries and Gaming (Amendment) Bill 2021, proposes a prohibition on gambling between 6am and 8pm.

Her proposal also seeks to regulate mobile betting and ban gambling advertising near betting venues.

Ms Waithera said:

“I have observed the operations of betting and gaming establishments in the county for a while now. I believe something must be done to curtail the hours spent in these establishments by our youth if we are to secure our future as a county.
I shall be proposing that the county and National Licensing Board limit the operating hours of these establishments so as to help protect productive hours among the citizenry and avoid wastage of time by some of our youth who are sadly now addicted to gambling and spend a lot of time at these establishments.”

US-based research company Geopoll has reported that millennials in Kenya place more bets than young people in other sub-Saharan nations, mainly on football. It estimated an average spend of $50 per month and reported that advertising had a major effect on behaviour.

Source: Focus Gaming News