The Betting and Licencing Control Board (BCLB) will not renew the licences of 19 betting firms pending security vetting of their operations and directors.
According to a statement issued on Monday, the companies affected include 13 casinos, six lotteries and eight betting firms. The board did not however list the individual companies.
This follows a directive by Interior CS Fred Matiang’i that all companies involved in gaming be vetted afresh.
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Issuing the directive in April, Matiang’i noted that the renewal of the licences will be subject to proof of tax compliance.
Matiang’i also noted that the government is concerned with gambling as over 76 percent of youth are involved in gambling.
According to him, the numbers are alarming since the youth are not utilizing their skills and intelligence.
“What kinds of youth are we as a country raising, when we have most of them involved in betting? What message are we passing on to them for the future?” Matiang’i wondered.
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