Nairobi, May 1 -- Betting firms will be barred from using influential personalities and past winners of large prize money, or face fines of up to Sh20 million, under proposed changes aimed at curbing the gambling craze.

They will also be banned from depicting betting as a source of income or associating gambling with success, according to the Gambling Control (Advertising) Regulations, 2026. The rules seek to rein in advertisements that lure Kenyans into betting with the promise of quick money or financial gain.

Those found in breach of the regulations face a fine not exceeding Sh20 million, imprisonment for a term not exceeding 20 years, or both.

A gambling craze, mainly among the youth and the unemployed, has forced the State to tigh...