Kenya’s financial landscape is up for an extraordinary leap as the government officially introduces its highly anticipated National Lottery. This groundbreaking initiative aims to boost revenue and sets the stage for captivating competition among betting operators in the country.
It is set to channel the proceeds to the country’s sports, arts and cultural sectors to boost the already allocated budget for the industry. This will be through the Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund which gets the bulk of its revenue from betting, lotteries and gaming.
The National Treasury is also exploring ring-fenced tax and incentives for business sponsorship. This includes a framework for public-private partnerships for infrastructure development.
The National Treasury stated that it must realize the potential of the sports and arts industries. This will be through dependable sources – sports funding and the creation of a National Lottery. Also, it will assess the Sports Act and set up a special division in the Tourist Promotion Council to draw in international sporting events.
With the existence of public lotteries, like the Kenya Charity Sweepstakes and Win Lotto, Kenya doesn’t have a National Lottery. However, there is a distinction between them. A National Lottery, in contrast to the former, is state-licensed. It raises money for the arts, sports, and charitable organizations by selling numbered tickets. It also awards rewards to owners of numbers that are picked at random.
In the US, states that operate lotteries like Mega Millions, and Powerball rely heavily on them to raise money. The Gambling Commission presides over the National Lottery in the United Kingdom.
A National Lottery was previously attempted to be established in Kenya. This was through the 2019 Gaming Bill, which would have created the country’s first organization. It had been intended for the Gaming Bill to replace the Betting, Lotteries, and Gaming Act. With a National Lottery, the government would compete with other public lotteries and gaming companies.
The Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) made an analysis. It projected the fiscal year 2022/23 to include 13 public lotteries, 57 public gaming establishments, and 105 bookmakers. It’s important to note that Lotteries differ from gambling and betting.
The amount of money you stand to win in gambling depends on how much you put in, unlike a lottery, which is a game of chance with winners chosen by a draw. In contrast, betting entails a result of an event in which the bettor expects to be rewarded should their prediction come true. Nowadays, that has never been easier as players can access plenty of sporting offers online from the best betting sites in Kenya and around the world.
Currently, the only way for the government to obtain money from gaming, lotteries, and betting is through taxes. These taxes are then used to pay the Sports Arts and Social Development Fund. This is entrusted with supporting the growth and promotion of sports, the arts, and social development. The Treasury generated Sh3.294 billion in gaming revenue during the fiscal year that ended in June 2022. This year, the exchequer expects to bring in Sh15 billion.
