Gambling has been around for a long time across the world, and this includes the African continent too. The arrival of the Internet has resulted in an explosive growth for this lucrative industry in this continent, like in most other places across the world. Further growth has been fuelled by another step forward that the industry has taken – the mobile casino revolution. Casino gambling – land-based, online, and now mobile – has been around in Kenya for quite a while.
Unlike in some of the other African countries, gambling is in quite a happy place in Kenya. Kenya has legalized all three forms of gambling:
• Land-based casinos
• Online casinos
• Mobile casinos
There are 15 land-based casinos in more than 4 cities across Kenya; though most of these can be found in Nairobi, the capital, Mombasa, and other neighboring areas. You find two types of land-based casinos here: the ones that are part of a resort and the ones that are standalone and there only for the purpose of gambling. While the resort casinos may have a heavier influx of foreigners, you find a significant number of the local populace at the standalone casinos; the minimum bets are pretty low and there are a number of slots and other games to catch up on.
Now there are online and also mobile casinos in Kenya thanks to the upgraded laws here. We will discuss these at length in later sections on this page.
The following is a list of the top online casinos accepting Kenyan players. As you may have noticed, there are online casinos based out of Kenya also in this mix, not just online casinos run by overseas operators. We have listed the casinos along with the bonuses you get when you sign up with them. To play at any of these casinos, you just have to click the Play Now button alongside the casino listed.
Top Kenya Online Casinos and their Bonuses
- Yebo Casino Review
- Local Banking Methods
- Large Selection of Games
- Safe & Secure
Using OnlineCasinosOnline to Find the Best Online Casino for Kenyan Players
There is only one website that is the best source of information for the top online casinos for Kenyan players. That is not all; we also provide a range of other information related to gambling in Kenya. This is what you get when you come to us:
- The most accurate listing of top online casinos for Kenyan players
- Reviews of all the top Kenyan online casinos on our list
- Information pertaining to Kenya’s gambling laws
- Information about mobile casino gambling in Kenya
Parameters We Test Kenyan Online Casinos For
We test all Kenyan casinos, actually all online casinos accepting Kenyan players, for multiple parameters. The ones that make it to our list of top Kenyan online casinos are the ones who manage to score high on all or at least most of the parameters we test them for. The different parameters we test them for are:
Look and feel: All the casinos on our list come with superb interfaces that ensure smooth navigation and easy access to the different aspects that players look for – games, bonuses, jackpots if any, payment options, and more.
Software: All the casinos listed on our website use software from some of the best in the industry.
Games: We check each casino for the games they offer. The ones that make it to our list have a superb selection of games – different kinds of slots, table games, card games, video poker, and specialty games like scratch cards and Keno; some have their own progressive jackpots too.
Jackpots: Jackpots enrich and enhance the play experience at an online casino. All the Kenyan casinos on our list offer fabulous progressive jackpots that you can try to win for a huge paycheck.
Promotions and Bonuses: We test every casino accepting Kenyan players for the promotions and bonuses they offer. Only the best make it to our list. Click on any of the casinos here and you are guaranteed not just a great welcome bonus but also a range of other bonuses that you can use once you have run through your welcome bonus.
Local Currency Support: We test the different casinos we come across for the currencies they support. The ones on our list support the Kenyan Shilling, which is the local currency.
Payment Methods: Every casino we list on our site offers support for multiple payment methods. This makes it easier for you to deposit and also withdraw funds when you are playing at any of these casinos.
Security: Security is a big concern among players worldwide. Every casino on this site has been tested rigorously for their security levels. Each of them uses at least industry-standard security technology like 128-bit secure socket layer (SSL) digital encryption and sophisticated firewalls.
Customer Support: All casinos on our list have been tested thoroughly for their customer support. Each of them has dedicated customer support teams that are accessible over multiple modes – live chat, telephone, and e-mail.
Mobile Casinos: We test all casinos for the availability of a mobile casino. The ones on our list come with their own mobile casinos. Each of these mobile casinos is compatible with the Android and iOS platforms and is available at least in instant play mode; some have their own downloadable apps too.
Gambling Types in Kenya
The major forms of gambling that you get to see in Kenya, like many other African countries, are:
• Land-based casinos
• Lotteries
• Sportsbetting
The first available gambling type was the land-based casino and there were land-based sportsbooks and betting shops as well. The online casino came next; initially there were no online casinos based out of Kenya because of the fuzzy gambling laws here. However, a revision of the Betting, Lotteries, and Gambling Act of Kenya in 2012 paved the way for the emergence of online casinos based in the country. Now you do not have to necessarily play only at casinos run by overseas operators.
Gambling Legislation in Kenya – The Early Days
Kenya has had it better than most other African countries when it comes to gambling because of the existence of laws to regulate all forms of gambling in the country. The first law to regulate gambling in the country was formulated back in 1966; that was when the Betting, Lotteries, and Gambling Act of Kenya was passed. The passing of this piece of legislation led to the formation of the Betting Control and Licensing Board of Kenya, the regulatory body that oversees all forms of gambling in the country.
The Betting, Lotteries, and Gambling Act was revised in 2012 and there were provisions made to include online gambling as well, leading to the establishment of online casinos based out of Kenya. The upgraded law has legalized the following kinds of gambling activities
• Land-based casinos
• Online casinos – The official state-run online casino and also other private online casinos
• Two state-run lotteries – You can access these online and also from your mobile device
What this means is that now players do not have to play at overseas casinos only; they have Kenyan online casinos to choose from as well.
Online Casinos in Kenya
Thanks to a revision in the existing gambling laws, online casino gambling is now officially legal in Kenya. All online casinos in the country are licensed by the Betting Control and Licensing Board. The first online casino available to players here was BetKenya. This is a state-run online casino that was launched in 2013. The games available here include slots, table and card games, and video poker.
There are other online casinos as well, regulated and also unregulated, where players get access to a range of exciting games and a high quality gaming experience. The ones on our list also have progressive jackpots.
Mobile Casinos in Kenya
With the phenomenal growth in popularity of the mobile device, the next step forward for the online casino industry was mobile casino gambling. Africa today is one of the fastest growing markets for mobile devices – smartphones and tablets – and also the use of mobile broadband. The numbers over the past few years speak for themselves:
• The forecast was for Africa to have a 43% jump in mobile broadband subscriptions by 2014-end (as per a study conducted by the International Telecommunications Union)
• The number of mobile broadband users in Africa has jumped from 2% in 2010 to 19% in 2014
These numbers are exactly why you see an explosive surge in mobile casinos here. This is especially true of Kenya. The following are the major mobile network operators in Kenya:
• Airtel
• Safari.com
• Orange (Telkom Kenya)
With the number of registered mobile phone users in Kenya standing at over 30 million subscribers the market is just right for an expansion in the number of smartphone users that have Internet access. This means a potential increase in the number of mobile casino fans in the country. The mobile network operators mentioned above allow Kenyan players to connect to their favorite mobile casino as long as they have the following:
• Smartphone or tablet
• 3G or 4G connectivity; an alternative is Wi-Fi
Players can deposit funds into their casino account from their mobile device using any of the following payment methods:
• Credit Cards
• Neteller
• Skrill
FAQ's
Kenya is one country that has had laws in place to regulate gambling since 1966. While initially, these laws did not cover online casinos, subsequent upgrades to the laws have ensured the emergence of online casinos based in Kenya. The first of these was BetKenya, a government-run online casino launched in 2013.
The one thing that you do not have to worry about at a Kenyan online casino is security; they all use industry-standard encryption technology. That is especially true of all the top casinos that we list on our site here.
Almost all the Kenyan online casinos are available in instant play mode. Some of them also offer the download mode, which allows you to download the software to your computer. In some casinos you may find only the download mode.
Absolutely! Registration is free at all the top online casinos for Kenyan players. You can also play at these casinos for free, when you opt to use the practice mode. The real money mode is of course available at all these casinos.
Most Kenyan online casinos and quite a few run by overseas operators accept payments in Kenyan Shillings (KES). The ones on our list definitely accept payment in the local currency.
A number of Kenyan online casinos and most definitely a number of overseas operators accepting Kenyan players have a mobile version of the casino that allows you to play your favorite casino games directly from your mobile device.