A bookmaker refuses to pay your winnings: reasons, rules and options in Kenya

When a bookmaker will not pay out, the first question is why. Most refusals rest on a stated ground: unfinished identity checks, a voided bet, bonus terms, suspected fraud or self-exclusion. Kenyan law has something to say about each one, and about the deadlines that apply once the ground falls away.

This guide sets out those rules, the evidence to collect and the escalation route. The complete set of payout deadlines in the 2026 Regulations has its own guide.

What must a bookmaker do with a win?

Section 70(1) of the Gambling Control Act, 2025 is the starting point. Where a player in an online gambling transaction wins a monetary prize, the licensee must credit the amount to the player's account within two days. Section 73(2) requires all funds the licensee owes you to be credited to your player account, and section 75(b) lets it remit that balance at your request.

The Gambling Control (Conduct of Gambling Operations) Regulations, 2026 (L.N. 112), as gazetted, add settlement and payment duties. Regulation 24(1) requires a licensee to settle winning bets promptly and in line with its published rules. Regulation 85(2) requires punters' payments to follow the structure in the Third Schedule, summarised below.

The Schedule's general provisions add that no prize may be paid without verification of lawful ticket ownership. Regulation 101 then backs the deadlines with money. Miss the 14-day mark and the licensee pays twice: a penalty of 5% of the winnings to the Authority, and interest to you at 5% a day for up to 21 days until it pays in full.

Illustrative example: on an unpaid win of KES 100,000, 5% is KES 5,000. That is the penalty payable to the Authority under regulation 101(1), and also one day's interest owed to the player under regulation 101(2) once the 14 days have passed.

Why bookmakers hold back winnings, and what the rules say

Identity checks not finished

Regulation 82(3) of L.N. 112 requires a licensee to verify the identity of any winner before paying. Under regulation 82(4) that check uses official identification documents and confirms that you are not self-excluded and are legally eligible to gamble. Section 70(6) of the Act separately requires proof of age of majority before a prize is remitted.

A request for documents is therefore lawful in itself. For the two largest prize tiers the deadline runs from the completion of verification, so a slow check delays the clock. Send what is asked through the bookmaker's own channel, and read what account verification involves if the check stalls.

The bet was voided or resettled

Neither the Act nor L.N. 112 lists the situations in which a sports bet may be voided. Regulation 23(1) requires the odds, rules and terms for each bet to be clearly displayed, and regulation 23(2) bars a licensee from altering a bet's terms after accepting it, except as the Act and the Regulations permit. Regulation 25(b) requires the Authority's approval before a licensee changes the terms and conditions of its games during the licence.

If a winning bet is voided, ask which published rule was applied and which version of the terms was in force when you placed it. A rule that appeared only after your bet was accepted is the point to press in your complaint.

Bonus terms

The Act tolerates bonuses within narrow wording. Section 72(7) bars a licensee from inducing a bet through credit, but its proviso excludes free bets and bonus bets conducted in the ordinary course of business, and section 74(3) repeats that operators may offer them. The Act says nothing else about bonuses, so the bookmaker's approved terms decide when bonus winnings can be withdrawn.

Regulation 4(2) of L.N. 112 requires those terms to cover disqualification conditions and the method of payment of winnings. Ask for the clause by number, and save a copy of the promotion's terms as they stood when you took part.

Suspected fraud or irregular play

Regulation 90(1) of L.N. 112 requires a licensee to report suspicious activity, transactions and fraud to the Authority within twenty-four hours of becoming aware. Regulation 95(1) requires internal controls against money laundering and fraud. Section 110 of the Act makes it an offence to win money through unlawful means while betting, with a fine of up to KES 2,000,000, imprisonment of up to two years, or both.

The Regulations do not say how long a payout may be held while a suspicion is examined. Ask the bookmaker to state its grounds in writing and to confirm whether it has reported the matter under regulation 90(1). Give your own account of the bets in question at the same time.

Self-exclusion

Regulation 70(5)(d) of L.N. 112 says a registered self-excluded person may not claim gambling winnings. Under regulation 74(1), a licensee must refund deposits taken in breach of an exclusion within seven days and cancel winnings obtained in contravention of it. If you have excluded yourself, this site's page on help with gambling, limits and self-exclusion lists where to get support.

Keep evidence from the moment you win

1. Screenshot the bet slip with the bet ID, stake, odds, selections and the time of acceptance.
2. Screenshot the settled result and your balance straight after settlement.
3. Download or screenshot the account statement showing deposits, the win and each withdrawal attempt.
4. Keep every M-Pesa or bank message for money in and out.
5. Save the general terms and any promotion terms, noting the date you saved them.
6. Keep chat transcripts, e-mails and the names or staff IDs of the people you dealt with.
7. Log the date and time of each contact and any reference number given.

The bookmaker holds its own copy of much of this. Section 76(1) of the Act requires a licensee to maintain a register of all monies paid out to a punter, and regulation 88(1) of L.N. 112 obliges it to record tickets and complaints. Your copies let you test its version against yours.

Time limits also argue for speed. Section 70(5) says a claim for an uncollected prize lapses six months after the winnings are declared, and section 80 gives fourteen days from the dispute to appeal to the Tribunal.

How to escalate a refusal

Put the refusal on record first. Write to the customer care centre, ask for the reason and the rule relied on, and request a reference number. Under regulation 9(2)(e) of L.N. 112 a matter still unresolved after 72 hours must go to the Authority, and you can ask in writing for that referral sooner.

The Authority's complaints page asks for a signed complaint form, and the regulator's website shows a toll-free line, 0800-723-770. The Gambling Appeals Tribunal can hear the dispute only after the Authority has determined it (L.N. 115 r.18), and the Memorandum of Appeal is due within 30 days of that decision (r.6). The full sequence, with forms and fees, is in how to complain about a betting company.

What this guide does not cover

The rules above bind licensees, so they offer little against a site that holds no Kenyan licence. That is one more reason to check the regulator's list before depositing. A payout that arrives smaller than the win is not necessarily a refusal, because tax may have been deducted: see withholding tax on betting winnings.