Big win for betting firms as court declares ban on outdoor adverts illegal

An outdoor advert by a betting firm in Nairobi.

Betting firms can now breathe with a sigh of relief after the High Court on Tuesday declared a decision to ban outdoor advertising for betting firms unconstitutional.

Justice John Mativo declared the directive made by the Betting Control and Licensing Board null and void.

In his ruling, the judge said that the decision to ban outdoor betting adverts was tainted with illegality, unreasonableness and procedural impropriety.

Early this month, in a letter addressed to betting firms, the National Betting and Licensing Board had banned outdoor advertising of gambling, advertising of gambling on all social media platforms, advertising gambling between 6 am and 10 pm.

“We wish to remind you that gaming has a potential to harm the consumer with a possibility of leading to addiction as well as some disorder,” said the Board.

The board had also banned any endorsement of gambling operations by celebrities.