Staying in control: help and self-exclusion

Betting is for adults, costs money on average and can become addictive. If it is causing harm, call the Gambling Regulatory Authority's toll-free line on 0800-723-770 or ask to be self-excluded under section 115 of the Gambling Control Act, 2025.

Last updated 2026-10-04

The honest starting point

18+ only. Every football price includes a bookmaker's margin, so a person who bets regularly should expect to lose money over time. Betting is not income, not an investment and not a way out of debt. Gambling is addictive.

If that sounds obvious on a quiet weekday and less obvious late on a Saturday with one leg of a slip still to play, that gap is exactly what this page is about.

Signs that the game has changed

• You stake more after a loss to get the money back.
• You bet on matches you would not otherwise watch, because a slip is running.
• You use money meant for rent, fees, food or fare.
• You borrow to bet, or hide bets from people close to you.
• A match without a bet on it feels flat.
• You have tried to cut down and could not.

One of these is a reason to pause. Several together are a reason to use the tools below today.

Tools a licensee must give you

Regulation 87 of the Conduct of Gambling Operations Regulations, 2026 requires a licensee to provide accessible, real-time tools to control gambling behaviour. They include deposit limits on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, loss, session and expenditure limits, reality-check notifications showing how long you have played, and an easy-to-reach option to self-exclude for at least twenty-four hours.

A licensee is also barred from giving a player credit (section 74(1)(a) of the Act). The terms are explained one by one in the matchday glossary of limit tools.

Regulator's helpline

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya runs a toll-free line: 0800-723-770. The call is free.

How self-exclusion works

Self-exclusion is a formal request to be shut out of gambling. Section 115 of the Act lets a person who recognises that their gambling is harmful enter a self-exclusion agreement covering all gambling establishments and controlled games, including online gambling.

1. Make the request. The regulator's page says you may visit its offices in person or send an email to [email protected] stating that you wish to self-exclude. Regulation 70 provides a form (Form 1) and asks for the period and a copy of your national identity card or passport.
2. Choose the period. Regulation 69(2) allows a specified period or permanent exclusion. The regulator's page describes periods typically from six months to five years.
3. Identity is verified. Under regulation 70 the Authority acknowledges the application within seven days of receipt, verifies identity and enters the details in the register.
4. Licensees act on it. Section 115(4) requires a licensee to refuse service, close the customer's accounts and return any funds, and remove the person from marketing databases within two days of receiving the notification.

Two things to know before you start. The regulator's page says you cannot leave the programme before the period ends. And under regulation 70(7) a person on the register may not place a bet, open a gambling account, receive promotions or claim gambling winnings.

An operator that fails to implement a self-exclusion request within seven days of written notification commits an offence under section 115(5).

Under eighteen

Children may not be registered for online betting. Section 72 of the Act obliges operators to put mechanisms in place to keep children out and to require proof of age of majority before registering any player. Nothing on this site is written for anyone under eighteen.

For family and friends

If someone close to you shows the signs above, the same toll-free line can be called by you. Section 115(6) of the Act provides for regulations on how an affected person may petition the Authority to apply self-exclusion to a vulnerable gambler; ask the Authority how that works in practice.