Best Online Casino in Kenya for 2023

As per the Betting Control and Licensing Act of Kenyan law, enforced in 1966, both land-based and online casino gambling are completely legal in Kenya. However, the downside of online gambling legalization in this country is the fact only state-run sites can apply for a license. This severely dampens the potential of the online gaming industry in this country. On top of that, players are liable to a 20% tax on net winnings, which complicates matters even further.

As an alternative, Kenyan players can resort to off-shore licensed online casinos. These sites are usually regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, Gibraltar, Alderney or Malta Gaming Authority. They are completely safe to play at, offering players easy ways to deposit, withdraw and play hundreds of games.

There is no legal regulation that forbids Kenyans to gamble at foreign online casinos. However, you still need to find a trusted website with a good reputation and preferably fast payouts, good customer support and varied selection of games. Head over to our review section to find the best Kenyan online casinos, carefully selected by our team of review experts.

The land-based gambling sector in Kenya is doing quite well, with a number of high-class resorts offering slot machines and table games to prospective players. These resorts also come with hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues to make sure players have all their needs met 24/7. As the minimum gambling age in this country is 18 years old, an identification document will be required.

The most popular land casinos in this country are mostly situated within Mombasa and Nairobi regions. The Bollywood Casino, The Mayfair R.K.L. Casino Nairobi, John Power Kenya and Golden Key Casino are some of the most visited gaming venues in the country. Some of them also host sports betting opportunities, which happens to be a big hit in Kenya.

With so many online casinos that accept Kenyan players, making a choice on where to play can be difficult. We review every prospective site and single out the best ones based on several important criteria. We’ll give you an outline below, which should give you a more in-depth look into our review process.

A proper license is the backbone of a reputable online casino. Playing at an unlicensed site is a recipe for disaster. Also, not all licenses are the same. Kenyan-friendly casino sites regulated by the Malta Gaming Authority and UK Gambling Commission are at the top of our priority list. Alderney, Gibraltar, Isle of Man and Curacao are also solid licensing bodies with a healthy reputation on the market.

Once we make sure the casino we’re reviewing is properly licensed, customer support is our second destination. It is absolutely essential that the casino you’re playing at has live chat support with good response times and knowledgeable support agents. ‘Round the clock availability is also a plus, but not a deal-breaker as long as working hours are reasonable.

A casino can have all the bells and whistles, but lacking a good set of games throw everything in the water. Rest assured, the Kenyan casinos you’ll find featured here are powered by market leaders such as NetEnt, Microgaming, Play ‘N Go, Yggdrasil, and others. These games are well-regulated with reliable RNG (Random Number Generator) and fair payout rates.

Nowadays, mobile optimization is an essential requirement for online casinos. We want to make sure you’ll be able to play your games in any way you like: on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, and so forth. This way, you can play in your home, in the park, on your couch – pretty much anywhere. Flexibility is key.

Quite often, you can also download online casino real money apps for your Android or iOS smartphone. 

Bonuses and promotions are a crucial aspect of online casinos. Though in some cases even the best Kenyan online casinos don’t have the highest bonuses. We like to place a much larger emphasis on the bonus terms. Overall, however, you’ll be able to claim a variety of fair promotions, most of which are valuable sign-up offers that will match your first few deposits.

Payment options are another crucial factor in your online gaming experience. You need to have easy access to at least a few payment options so that you can make efficient deposits and speedy payouts. PayPal, Mpesa, Neteller and similar e-wallets are the best for Kenyan players, so we make sure to prioritize reputable casinos with these banking options.

Playing in your local currency is always convenient. A good number of online casinos out there accept the Kenyan shilling. Though playing in a different currency is also possible, your shilling deposits will simply be converted to your casino account’s currency, such as EUR, USD or GBP. This bears some currency exchange fees, but they are minimal at worst.

Bonuses are a part of almost every online casino, including those that accept players from Kenya. In fact, they are often the main tool operators use to attract new players. As such, you will find an endless supply of all kinds of bonuses that await you.

Here are some of the most common bonus types you can expect:

• Sign-up Bonus

The sign-up bonus offers the greatest value, and it is exclusive to new players depositing for the first time. The sign-up bonus will usually match your first deposit by 100%. Many casinos offer match bonuses on your second, third and fourth deposits as well. These welcome offers are also commonly paired with free spins on popular video slots.

• Free Spins

We mentioned that free spins can come as part of welcome offers, but sometimes they are offered separately. This can be in the form of a no deposit offer, as part of a new game promotion, during holidays, and similar events.

• Reload and Cashback Bonuses

These bonuses are becoming a bit of a rarity nowadays, but they are still offered to loyal players. Many casinos will return a portion of your lost funds at the end of the day, week or month through “cashback” promos. These funds typically come with wagering requirements.

While the number of bonuses you’ll come across is quite large, it’s important not to be mislead by huge bonus amounts. A large welcome bonus can seem attractive, but it’s even more important that it comes with fair bonus terms. This means that you should keep an eye on the wagering requirements (30X to 35X of your deposit + bonus is the average) and any limitations that come with the bonus, such as: maximum bet restriction, game restrictions and varying game wagering contributions.

No deposit bonuses are a breed of their own, and quite hard to find. The reason for their rarity is obvious: no deposit is required to claim one, making it essentially a free money gift from the casino.

We have our own no deposit listings here at casinocountdown, so make sure to go through them and you’ll possibly come across one that is available to players from Kenya.

Keep in mind, however, no deposit bonuses come with higher-than-normal wagering requirements, a restrictive cashout limit and limited wagering games. On many occasions, this bonus will be offered in the form of free spins, making it available on a single slot or a couple of video slots from a certain provider.

One of the best parts of the best online casinos that accept players from Kenya is the vast amount of games on offer. There is plenty to go around regardless of your preference: video slots, classic slots, progressive jackpots, table games, scratch cards, virtual sports, live casino, and more.

Video slot mega-hits such as Starburst, Gonzo’s Quest, Immortal Romance and Dead or Alive are only a few examples out of hundreds. In terms of progressive jackpots, you will have access to millionaire-makers such as Mega Moolah, Mega Fortune, Divine Fortune and Arabian Nights, to name a few.

Of course, table games such as Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat and Poker will be at your disposal as well.

In general, providers such as Net Entertainment, Microgaming, Yggdrasil and Play ‘N Go will be your best bets if you’re looking for quality, well-paying games. At most Kenyan online casinos, at least a few of these providers will be present.

For Kenyan customers who have a particular affinity toward table games, then live casinos are simply a must-try. Live casinos are part of regular online casinos, featuring live dealer tables of Blackjack, Baccarat, Poker, Roulette and similar popular table games. These tables are usually supplied by companies such as Evolution Gaming and NetEnt, who host their games from studios around the world.

The game tables are hosted and operated by friendly presenters that players can chat to at any time during gameplay. The hosts are quite responsive, which makes for a lively gaming atmosphere from the comfort of your home. The tables are delivered through HD streams, so a decent internet connection is required for uninterrupted gameplay.

We briefly mentioned payment methods in our article above. But, we’d like to go a bit more in-depth on this topic as it is highly important to your casino experience.

As a bare minimum, Kenyan players have access to the standard VISA and MasterCard debit and credit card options. These are great, safe and instant deposit methods. However, sometimes they are either unavailable for withdrawals or subject to prolonged payout time scales up.

This is why we recommend e-wallets because of their ease of use, minimal fees and speedy payouts.  However, there is one mobile payment method which stands out the most for Kenyan players, and that is M-PESA. As you read on, we’ll single out the best banking options at your disposal.

Established in 2007, M-PESA quickly became the go-to payment method for thousands of Kenyan casino players. If you are from Kenya, then it’s highly unlikely you are unfamiliar with this payment method. In case you are not, however, we’ll give you an overview.

M-PESA is a mobile payment method available to subscribers of Vodafone and Safaricom mobile providers in Kenya. Then, you will need to link your phone number to your M-PESA account and you will be able to make free deposits at online casinos. What’s more, M-PESA does not charge any fees for casino transactions, and it can be used for withdrawals as well.

You can find more details on how to play at an online casino with Mpesa in our payment method review.

Neteller is the go-to payment method for casino players. It is the most common e-wallet for online gaming alongside Skrill, and the reasons for its widespread use are obvious. Neteller supports dozens of currencies, it charges low usage and maintenance fees, and it makes room for secure deposits at Kenyan online casinos.

What’s more, you can load your Neteller account using a large number of payment options. Withdrawals using this payment method are some of the fastest on the market, usually taking no longer than 24 to 48 hours.

The biggest benefit Neteller has over M-PESA is the much higher limits at your disposal.

As an e-wallet, PayPal is unrivalled on the global market. Though, it is not as common as Neteller among Kenyan online casinos. Other than that, we see no reason not to use PayPal as your priority whenever it is available. This payment method is known for its top-notch security, fast payouts and the ability to send money to and from a variety of payment options. It also bears minimal fees and multiple currency support. You can have a look at our PayPal casino listings for more information on this banking method.