Best Online Casinos in Kenya: TOP Kenyan Casino Sites 2024

Kenya might not be the first country you think of when it comes to online casinos, but we do have a strong tradition of gambling dating back to the 1950s. Fast forward some 70+ years, they are now ranked as the third-largest market for gambling in Africa, bringing in over $200million worth of bets each year and with over 30 land-based casinos.

One of the emerging developments in Kenya is the online casino industry. Although not many are based in Kenya, some online operators outside of the country will accept Kenyan players.

In this review, we explain what to look for when finding the best online casinos in Kenya.

How We Review Our Casinos

Choosing an online casino nowadays is a tall order. Many factors need to be considered to make an informed decision and pick the right one from all that variety. On this ground, we’ve rolled our sleeves up and got down to evaluating the top online casinos in Kenya, while systemizing our research in comprehensive reviews for each and every casino operator on the list.

To make sure that our reviews and our recommendations are as good as they can be, we have created a task-force that looks at and reviews online casinos from all over the world. The only criteria that they initially look at are if they serve Kenyan players. If this is a tick, then the hard work starts.

The team is made up of a mix of professional online casino players, reviewers and developers. We also have game developers on board to give their point of view.

By creating a review team, we feel that we can dive deeper than most into each online casino and most importantly, see how they function.

However, it’s not just a general look at how a casino works, it’s a look at how the casino works for Kenyan casino players. If a feature is not accessible for a player in Kenya, then the feature may as well not be on the site.

Reviews tend to start with a look at the brand. Lots of the best online casinos in Kenya have a strong history within the industry. That being said, there are many new brands as the online sector continues to grow, so it’s our job to find out who is behind them.

From there we move into the games that are on offer. Again, most will include game developers that create games all over the world. Lots of the big names now cater to Kenyan casinos as well, such as Microgaming, NetEnt and Yggdrasil, to name a few.

Next on the lists come any bonuses and promotions that can be accessed. Some of these offers are limited for Kenyan players, so they are harder to find. What we will also note here is that bonuses tend to be harder for Kenyan players to clear as well, with much stricter wagering requirements.

Finally, we move into things like licensing, customer service, banking, mobile and anything else we think you should know. Lots of people state that online casinos are all the same and whilst some have similarities, they are all different in their own way.

Our reviews highlight how each of them differ and how you, as a Kenyan casino player, can get the absolute most out of your time at that casino.

For the rest of this article, we want to talk you through all aspects of an online casino in Kenya. We have recommendations on this page that we think are the best in the business right now, but you must understand how they work so you can form your own decisions about which is best.

Online Casino Games

A key criterion for any of the best online casinos in Kenya is the range of games that are on offer. Online casino has evolved massively over the last decade and most sites will have hundreds to choose from.

Even though the number of games has increased, the quality is still very high. The best casinos will put a huge emphasis on the games that they choose to market on their site. To do this often requires working with the biggest and the best when it comes to game developers.

Whilst the numbers are impressive marketing tools for online casinos, with many boasting of hundreds or even thousands of games to choose from, you want to be on the lookout for quality over quantity.

You see, most casino players will play average less than 50 games over the lifetime of a single casino. For lots, this will be less than 10% of the total catalogue. So, when you hear of casinos offering thousands of games, be aware that you’re not going to play the vast majority and casinos that are smaller, with several hundreds of games, can be just as prolific.

There aren’t any games that are specifically made for Kenyan players. For example, games like Sic Bo and Video Poker are casino games that are huge in Asia, but not played on a massively scale outside of here. Kenyan casinos tend to cover what most of the larger mainstream casinos from Europe and Asia have on offer.

Below we’ve included a range of casino games that you can expect to find at most Kenyan-friendly online casinos.

Slots

The most obvious place to start is with the games that Kenyan players play the most, slots. The world of online slots has taken off over the last 20 years and now there are more than ever. When we mentioned earlier about casinos having thousands of games, well most of these will be slots.

One of the great things about these games is that there are so many variants to choose from. Video slots are the most popular and these games tend to come with a range of features, including wilds, bonuses, scatters, multipliers, a range of paylines, bonus rounds and interactive qualities.

The set-up of the games is probably the key area to note, even just looking at the number of reels and then the number of paylines. You often find that games with 5 or more reel and 50 or more paylines are more volatile than those with less than this.

When we talk about volatility, we are basically talking about how the games play out. A game with high volatility will pay out less frequently but have bigger payouts when they do drop, compared with a low volatility game that will pay out more often, but with smaller amounts.

Some of the best slots are that of the branded games. These range from site to site but include things like comic book series (DC, Marvel etc.), TV shows, game shows, movies, music and sports stars.

The reason that branded games are usually the best is that they have larger budgets for developers to make these games. Given that they are already established brand, they now need to make sure that the quality of the game is reflective of the brand.

Jackpot Slots

Jackpot slots are games that run alongside that of your more traditional slots. As the name would suggest, these games come with jackpots attached to them and as a result, are extremely popular.

There are different types of jackpots that you can claim. The most popular is that of the progressive jackpots. These are games where players contribute to the jackpot with every spin that they make.

Progressive games work a little differently to most “standard” jackpot games in that they are usually hosted by the game provider and not the casino. This means that the same game can be accessed across multiple online casinos.

Given that they get massively increased exposure as a result of this, the jackpots are highly lucrative. It’s not uncommon for the bigger games to surpass the $1million mark and the biggest wins have been $10million+.

Regular jackpot games are ones that the casino tends to host. This is additional money added to a game and is triggered when a player makes a certain combination of symbols. Whilst these are still more than worth winning, they aren’t as big as the progressive games, for the most part, at least.

Roulette

One of the most popular table games is that of roulette. This is one game that so simple to play and is a game that a lot of recreational players will be highly familiar with. Whilst the standard game is very recognisable, the influx in the online casinos has coincided with a huge range of roulette variations. Some are more popular than others, but they do all differ slightly, adding a little variation.

The three most popular games are that of European, American and French. These three games can be found in pretty much all Kenyan online casinos.

Other formats of Roulette can include branded games, no-zero, mini-roulette and multi-wheel. It will depend on the size of the casino as to which games you’re freely going to get access to.

Blackjack

Another popular table game is that of blackjack. This is one of the very few games in a casino that requires the user to apply some skill and strategy to take advantage of a low house edge. Whilst the game is famed for its low edge, this is only possible should the player play the perfect strategy for each hand.

Blackjack is one of the more social games at any casino. Even when playing online you’re able to sit at the table with other players, with some casinos allowing you to use chat boxes to interact as well.

Like roulette, there are many different versions of the game that you can access. The basics remain the same for each in that you need to beat the dealer’s hand with a score of 21 or less.

Rules change from each game, which means that players will need to adjust their strategy accordingly. One thing that we will note is if you’re using a hand chart to perfect your strategy, make sure that the hand chart is the correct one for the game type that you’re playing. If it differs, then the slight rule changes will affect how you’re supposed to play the hand.

Other Casino Games

Of course, you’re not just going to be limited to blackjack and roulette at the casino. Kenyan casino players will be able to access a huge range of casino games. Some others include:

• Craps
• Baccarat
• Sic Bo
• Stud Poker
• Three Card Poker
• Let Em Ride
• Pai Gow
• Keno
• Rummy
• Scratch Cards

You’re likely going to find that most of these games can be played as most of the best Kenyan casinos. However, where they lack compared to the likes of blackjack and roulette is that there aren’t as many variations.

Live Casino Games in Kenya

The live casino sector is one that is buzzing right now and some great casinos are offering high-quality live casino games. As the platform starts to grow, so do the number of games you can choose from, but more importantly, so does the quality of games.

Most live casinos are hosted within purpose-built sets that are set up to mimic what a brick-and-mortar casino would look like. You’re able to play games with a live dealer and see them deal your hand. You then make your bets, and the game plays out just as it would in any casino.

You’re going to need a decent internet connection and platform to host the game. Most smartphones are just fine, and all computers will have the capability to play them really nicely.

The types of games that you can get access to are all table games. As with online games, the likes of blackjack and roulette are the most popular by far here. Other games are much more limited in terms of how many tables run or if they are running at all.

Most of the larger casino game providers offer some form of live casino now. NetEnt is probably the best in the business, but there are lots to choose from. When you’re looking for you live casino you need to check the range of games on offer and the quality of the games. Streams have improved massively over the last few years, but some still lack that cutting edge.

Online Casino Bonuses

When you come to register for a new account with a Kenyan online casino you’re going to be able to claim some sort of welcome offer with most sites. One thing that we will note straight away is that not all casino bonuses will be accessible for Kenyan players.

It may be the case that the casino bonus is either not accessible at all or that it’s different from their main bonus, which is quite common. The casino will be able to inform you of your options before you register, but we do point out in our reviews and on this page what you can expect to claim for someone playing online casino games in Kenya.

Regardless of what they might appear, not all online casino bonuses are made equal. Often there are wagering requirements that you must meet to claim your bonus. We talk more about that later in this section.

Below we have listed the variations of casino bonuses you can expect in Kenya and how each of these works.

Deposit Bonuses

The most common type of bonus that you’re going to see is the deposit bonus. With these offers, the casino will require you to make a cash deposit and then from that they will match this amount in the form of bonus money.

There are two key things to note with this offer. First is the amount of bonus you can claim and the second is the percentage of your deposit that is matched.

A typical example of this would be a 100% match up to $100. So, if you deposited $100 the casino would give you $100 in additional bonus money.

Whilst it would be easy to just assume that the biggest bonus is the best, this is not always the case. The reason behind this is that the with each bonus you’re going to have wagering requirements attached and usually the bigger the offer, the stricter these wagering requirements are. More on this in the next couple of sections.

The size of these offers can range, but it’s not uncommon to be able to claim hundreds of dollars in bonus money with some of the bigger casinos.

No Deposit Bonuses

A no deposit bonus is where the casino will give you a bonus with your new account, but instead of matching a deposit that you make, they give you it for free. As the name would suggest, there is no need to make a deposit, simply open an account and this offer will be triggered.

The amount of bonus money you get with these offers is much lower than a deposit bonus. A deposit match will allow you to claim $100+ at most casinos, but a no deposit bonus is usually maxing out at around $25.

What’s great about these offers is that, not only are you getting free money, but it allows you to test our casinos for free, without having to spend your own money. As with all things that seem a little too good to be true, there are some pointers that we need to make.

The first is that these offers are extremely rare these days. You’re going to do well to find one that is still active and even then, they might not always be accessible to players in Kenya.

You’re also going to find that these bonuses are incredibly hard to withdraw. The wagering that comes with them is usually super high and some casinos will require you to deposit before you can use the money as a cash balance.

However, if you can get your hands on one, 100% take it and then use it test a new casino or even new games that you’ve been looking to play.

Reload Bonuses

Many of the best online casinos in Kenya will offer some sort of reload bonus once the initial bonus has expired. These tend to work in almost the same way as the original offer in that they will apply the bonus to your account and then you need to wager through it to clear it.

The number of reload bonuses that you can claim will vary. Some may have just the one on offer, but others can serve up to 5 extra reload bonuses. In fact, some casinos will give reload bonuses on a weekly or monthly basis, providing you deposit a certain amount of money.

What we like about these offers is that you’re able to keep topping up your account with bonus money the longer you stay with that casino. This adds an incentive to use that casino, but it also means that you’ve got the potential to claim a lot of money in bonus credits before clearing them into your cash balance.

Free Spins

Free spins might be distributed in several ways. Some offers will have these are their main promotion and others will have this linked to a larger offer.

As the name would suggest, free spins are where the casino gives you several spins for you to use on one of their slots for free. The amount you can claim will range, but usually from 10 to 50 free spins per promotion.

These are another really good promotion that we highly urge you to take advantage of should you find them. Lots of these offers will pay out any free spins winnings in cash, although some may apply winnings as a bonus balance as well.

Game-Specific Offers

The final range of offers that we want to talk about is game-specific offers. These are where the promotion will be linked with a single game within the casino that you must use the bonus money for.

Games that you can access the bonus on will range, but usually are slots, blackjack or roulette. Once the bonus money has been applied to your account then you can only use it on the games linked to that offer.

What you’re going to find with these promotions is that you’re able to get reduced wagering requirements for the games the offer is linked to. This usually makes it easier to both claim and then clear as well.

Wagering Requirements

We’ve mentioned a couple of times in this article about wagering requirements and we need to go a little deeper about how they work. You will find that all offers and promotions have some sort of wagering requirements attached, with some being more favourable for the player than others.

These are in place to make sure that players don’t just claim the bonus and then leave with their bonus money. It means that they have to play a certain amount before they can change their bonus money into cash.

One of the key areas to note for this is the number of times that a bonus needs to be turned over before you can withdraw it. This number ranges and you want to find the lowest possible here, but anywhere around 30-40 times, the bonus amount is about the standard.

From here the casino will give you a set amount of time that you need to hit this turnover number. Again, the longer the better, with most ranging from 7 through to 30 days. The more time you have to clear the offer the easier it will be. If you fail to clear within that period, then you will forfeit your bonus and potentially any winnings that have come from your bonus cash.

Some bonuses will be limited as to the games that you can clear the offer on. They may limit bet types within these games as well.

For example, most bonuses will not let you place any even money bets on games like roulette. You need to make sure you know what games and bets will clear your bonus.

Given that you’re from Kenya, you may find that some bonuses are not accessible to you based on your location. Either this or you may find that different offers are given to you as a result of this.

Finally, you need to note min/max bet contribution amounts. This means that if you bet too much, it won’t count towards clearing the bonus. It essentially prevents high rollers from simply placing the whole turnover balance in one bet.

Casino Software Providers in Kenya

A lot of the online casinos that provide games for Kenyan players are based all over the world. Their main target markets are usually the likes of Asia, Europe and North America.

There aren’t any developers that are based in Kenya offering games exclusively to Kenyan players. Which means that Kenyans are getting access to games in some of the biggest casino sectors around the world.

The game developer role is to provide a catalogue of games for the casino to use. Casinos don’t make any of the games that they promote (for the most part, there are exceptions here, but not many) and they bring in the developer to do just that.

This allows the casino to concentrate on things like bonuses and customer support, and the game developers to make the best games possible.

Mobile Casinos in Kenya

The increase in mobile casinos is a sector that has rapidly moved across into Kenya as well. As access to smartphones has increased massively over the last few years in the country, it means that access is now as good as it’s ever been.

What you tend to find with most casinos is that their apps are available as a download basis or as an instant play basis. Downloading the app can be done by the dedicated app store for your device or sometimes you can get it directly from the casino.

Instant play casinos can be accessed simply by heading to that casino in your smartphone’s browser. Once there the casino will load up and you just log in and play as you would if you were playing on a desktop or laptop.

It’s worth noting that a lot of players in Kenya use VPN’s to make sure the casino knows exactly where they are playing from. Some network signals in the country can bounce around a lot, meaning that it can appear players are located in other African countries.

Are Online Casinos Based in Kenya?

The majority of online casinos are not in fact based in Kenya but instead based all over the world. Lots of European casinos can cater for the Kenyan market, which is where the majority of players will be able to get access.

As a result, there are several plusses and minus with this. The biggest plus is that quality of online casinos outside of Kenya are much better than those based in the country. They usually have access to better games, better software and even better bonuses as a result.

These casinos will already have licenses in place within their jurisdiction, but they need to make sure that this is acceptable in Kenya to make it fair and safe for these players.

Banking with Online Casinos in Kenya

You’re going to get access to a good range of banking options at most of these casinos. It’s highly likely that you won’t be able to access the full range, however, so make sure you note what is accessible.

Most casinos will allow you to deposit in Kenyan Shillings (KES) . However, these will be converted as you deposit, usually, from USD, EUR or GDP, depending on where the site is located. We must admit that currency conversion rates in online casinos usually aren’t great, but unfortunately, there aren’t that many ways to avoid it. Here are several banking options that you should be able to get access to:

• Visa
• Mastercard
• Neteller
• Skrill
• Direct bank wire
• Paysafecard
• Entropay
• ecoPayz

Limits and Fees

There might be times where you have limits placed on your account for how much money you can both deposit or withdraw. This is usually a temporary limit that is applied until you either verify your account or until you’ve made several transactions.

You may also find that deposits and withdrawals have fees attached. This is not totally uncommon, but for Kenyan players, we’ve noticed that it does incur a little more often than players based in Europe, mainly because of processing transactions works a little differently.

It is possible to avoid casinos that have both limits and fees on their accounts. There should be plenty of alternatives, but this might mean you miss out on promotions or offers as a result.

Is Gambling in Kenya Legal?

All forms of gambling are very much legal in Kenya and the pastime is one that is seeing considerable growth mainly down to the accessibility of online and mobile casinos within the country.

The industry is governed by the Betting Control and Licensing Board of Kenya. This is government-run and has been in place since 1966.

It’s the licensing board that will ultimately hand out any licenses for casinos based in Kenya. We’ve noticed over the last couple of years that some brands outside of Kenya have also applied and obtained a license from them.

However, they do allow sites that have already secured licenses in other countries to accept players from Kenya. The likes of the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority are two that are recognised and hence, why the link with sites from the UK and Kenya is so strong.

Gambling Taxation in Kenya

Both players and online casinos will have to pay tax in Kenya. In fact, the tax rate of 35% is one of the highest rates in the world and the highest of any other African county. To put it into perspective, South Africa charges a flat rate of just 9.6%.

35% is split into two parts. The gambling site or online casino, in this case, must keep 20% of all winnings from its players for tax payments. Additionally, they must pay 15% of their revenue taken from Kenyan players as well.

Given that so few Kenyan online casinos exist, the taxation and policing of this is the main reason why the Betting Control and Licensing Board of Kenya exists. It’s also worth noting that these rates have been reduced, with the board initially wanting to take 35% from the casino alone.

Kenya Gambling Statistics

Gambling in Kenya is a sector that is growing at a rapid rate. They are the fastest-growing African country and they now sit third overall in total revenue taken, behind only South Africa and Nigeria.

The government earn around 1 billion KES each year from online gambling, with sports betting being the most popular form in the country. However, casino has seen the biggest rise and since 2014 a yearly growth of around 8% has been reported.

Whilst the growth has been impressive, reports in the country suggest that more and more people are seeing this as a way to make money instead of just as a bit of fun. In 2016 it was estimated that over 70% of university students in Kenya are classed as problem gamblers.

There is no doubt that at the minute the government will be glad of the income that online gambling brings to Kenya, they will have to act some point in the not-too-distant future should they not be able to get a hold on what is lining up to be a crisis.

Land-Based Casinos

Kenya is blessed with around 30 land-based casinos. The majority of these are found in Nairobi and Mombasa, but they are dotted all over the country.

The layout and grandeur of the casinos might not compare to the likes of Las Vegas, but they are great assets to the industry and provide a huge number of jobs throughout the country.

Here is a list of some of the more popular locations:

• Casino Flamingo, Nairobi
• Golden Key Casino, Mombasa
• Captain’s Club and Casino, Nairobi
• Mayfair Casino, Nairobi
• Senator Casino, Mombasa

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