Deposit limits, reality checks and self-exclusion: a matchday glossary

Regulation 87 of the Conduct of Gambling Operations Regulations, 2026 obliges a licensee to give players real-time tools to control their gambling: deposit limits by day, week and month, loss, session and spending limits, reality checks and a self-exclusion option of at least twenty-four hours.

By Nairobi Football Editorial (prepared with AI tools under our editorial policy) · Last updated 2026-10-04

The tools, in the order a matchday uses them

Deposit limit

A cap you set on how much you can pay into a betting account. Regulation 87(2)(a) requires a facility for setting deposit limits on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Set it before the first match of the weekend, when the head is clear.

Loss limit, session limit, expenditure limit

Caps on what you can lose, how long one sitting lasts and what you can spend in total. Regulation 87(2)(b) lists all three.

Reality check

A pop-up notification showing how long you have been playing, required by regulation 87(2)(c). During a run of live matches it is the only clock that is not the match clock.

Short self-exclusion

Regulation 87(2)(d) requires "an easy to access option for self-exclusion for a period of at least twenty-four hours". It is the tool for the evening after a bad result, when the urge is to win it back.

Self-exclusion agreement

Under section 115 of the Gambling Control Act, 2025 a person may voluntarily enter an agreement with a licensee to be excluded from all gambling establishments and controlled games, including online gambling, and notifies the Authority. The licensee must close the account, return the funds and stop marketing to that person.

Self-exclusion register

The register of excluded persons that the Authority maintains and licensees access in real time (regulation 68). A person on it may not place a bet, open a gambling account or receive promotions (regulation 70(7)).

Exclusion period

A specified period or permanent exclusion (regulation 69(2)). The regulator's own page describes periods typically from six months to five years and says leaving before the period ends is not permitted.

Credit

Not a tool but a ban: section 74(1)(a) forbids a licensee from providing credit to a player. A bet is made with money already in the account.

Using them

Limits work when they are set in advance and left alone. The steps for full self-exclusion, the regulator's email address for requests and the free helpline are on the responsible gambling page. The reason a limit matters is the built-in cost explained in the guide to bookmaker margin.