Kenyan government in fresh bid to stop outdoor betting adverts

The government has launched a fresh bid to stop betting firms from carrying outdoor and online advertisements of their activities.

Through an application filed by the Attorney General, the government wants the High Court to reinstate the ban on outdoor advertising for betting firms as had been imposed by the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB).

State counsel Annette Nyakora argued that the government was not given a chance to explain why they imposed the ban and directed all betting firms to display a warning message in their adverts about the consequences of gambling.

“The government is fearful that the public and more particularly the youth are likely to be adversely affected by the judgment which lifted the ban. We were not aware of the case and wonder how the judge ended up making a decision without hearing us,” said Nyakora.

Justice John Mativo on May 28 dealt a blow to the government’s move to control the betting craze that has hit the country, ruling that the advertising ban issued by BCLB was unconstitutional, illegal and procedurally unfair.

BCLB had in March imposed the ban on outdoor advertising for gambling and directed that they must approve all forms of advertising before it is displayed to the public.

The agency also directed that all gambling adverts must contain warning messages about the consequences and its addictiveness which had to constitute a third of the actual advertisement.

In addition, the board outlawed banned advertising gambling on social media platforms, advertising between 6 am and 10 pm or endorsement of gambling operations by celebrities.