Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has backed Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) in their call to control betting advertisements. Appearing before National Assembly’s Sport and Tourism committee, KRA deputy commissioner in charge of policy Caxton Masudi told the committee that they are proposing a 35 per cent tax on all adverts. KRA wants the 2019 Gaming Bill to include the new tax.

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“There shall be a tax known as the gaming advertisement tax chargeable at the rate of 35 per cent on the cost of the gaming advertisement done through radio, television, newspapers, short message service and any other advertisement medium,” KRA proposed.

Treasury Chief Administrative Secretary Nelson Gachuhie requested the Machakos Town MP Victor Munyaka's led committee to make it a serious criminal offence for any betting firm who fails to reveal its gambling revenue data to KRA. He supports the tax to control gambling.

“We have seen an influx of media outlets advertisements which are tailored to lure Kenyans into engaging in gambling,” Peter Mbugi, the BCLB director-general told the committee as quoted by Business Daily.

The National Assembly Sport and Tourism committee is also collecting public views on the  gamming bill. Among the proposals are not to feature former winners to encourage others to bet as well as totally discouraging children from betting.