The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has intensified its crackdown on illegal gambling promotions by fining eight television broadcasters Ksh500,000 each and issuing a 12-hour ultimatum to halt all non-compliant content or face stricter regulatory action.
The authority announced the penalties on Monday, May 26, citing violations of Section 83A of the Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998.
“We issued penalties of Ksh500,000 to eight broadcasters for airing unlicensed prize competition promotions. These broadcasters must stop airing all such content within 12 hours or risk license revocation,” the statement read.
#SacredSwindle Exposé Highlights Abuse of Faith-Based Platforms
The fines follow a shocking exposé by NTV Kenya titled #SacredSwindle, which revealed how several TV stations exploited religious programming to promote gambling schemes disguised as faith-based initiatives.
CA said it had already flagged these violations prior to the exposé and confirmed that Yahweh’s Media Services Limited and its affiliate stations, which were prominently featured in the investigation, were among the 33 broadcasters under scrutiny.
“Prior to the exposé, the Authority through its continuous license monitoring efforts had identified license violations by 33 broadcasters, including but not limited to Yahweh’s Media Services Limited and its affiliate stations,” CA mentioned.
Yahweh Media and Others Cited for Regulatory Breaches
In its official statement, CA revealed that it had identified 33 broadcasters flouting licensing rules, following ongoing compliance monitoring.
“We issued Notices of Violation on March 13, 2025, to all 33 broadcasters involved in airing unlicensed gambling promotions,” CA stated.
The authority followed this up on April 23 with a sector-wide advisory, instructing all broadcasters to immediately suspend gambling-related advertisements.
Gambling Ad Ban Intensified Following BCLB Directive
On April 29, 2025, the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) suspended all gambling-related advertisements for 30 days, prompting CA to issue suspension notices to non-compliant broadcasters.
Despite the directive, many stations continued to broadcast the banned content.
According to CA, a compliance review in mid-May showed that several broadcasters had blatantly ignored the directives and continued to air prohibited gambling content.
“Even with the directives to suspend advertising of all gambling-related content, a review by the Authority in the second week of May 2025 revealed the continued airing of such prohibited content by some broadcasters, in blatant disregard of sector laws and directives,” CA added.
The authority reiterated its commitment to enforcing content standards and warned that it would not hesitate to revoke licenses for persistent non-compliance.
