As the June 30 licence renewal deadline approaches, MozzartBet Kenya finds itself confronting a threat more serious than any regulatory hurdle it has faced since entering the Kenyan market. This time, the challenge is not merely a tax dispute, a licensing delay or a compliance audit. It is the weight of a judicial record that has left one uncomfortable question hanging over the country’s gambling sector: can a company linked by the courts to a multimillion-shilling money laundering scheme continue operating under Kenya’s new gambling laws?
The answer now rests with the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA), the institution created under the Gambling Control Act, 2025, to clean up an industry that has long been accused of weak oversight, political protection and financial opacity.
At the centre of the storm is a Court of Appeal judgment delivered on May 23, 2025, in which judges upheld an earlier High Court ruling that forfeited hundreds of millions of shillings connected to transactions involving MozzartBet, Kimaco Connections Limited and other entities. The appellate court dismissed the company’s appeal and sustained findings that large sums moving through the network had not been satisfactorily explained. The judges agreed with earlier conclusions that some of the money ultimately ended up in accounts linked to individuals associated with MozzartBet. (new.kenyalaw.org (https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/judgment/keca/2025/897/eng%402025-05-23?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
The case arose from investigations by the Assets Recovery Agency into transactions exceeding Sh300 million. Court records show that investigators successfully argued the funds constituted proceeds of crime under the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act. Both the High Court and the Court of Appeal accepted key findings that Kimaco Connections lacked the financial and operational capacity expected of a company handling contracts of such magnitude and that explanations provided by the parties failed to account for the movement of the funds. (new.kenyalaw.org (https://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/judgment/keca/2025/897/eng%402025-05-23?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
That judgment has now become the single greatest obstacle standing between MozzartBet and another licence renewal.
Under the Gambling Control Act, operators are required to satisfy stringent anti-money laundering requirements. The regulator is obligated to conduct due diligence on directors, shareholders and beneficial owners while assessing whether licensees have maintained compliance with financial crime regulations throughout their period of operation.
For GRA officials, this creates a difficult dilemma.
A regulator established to strengthen anti-money laundering enforcement now faces a renewal application from a company whose name appears in one of the most significant asset forfeiture cases ever to hit Kenya’s betting industry. Any decision to renew the licence will inevitably invite scrutiny from civil society groups, anti-corruption campaigners and legal activists who argue that licensing standards must reflect the findings already made by superior courts.
The controversy arrives at a sensitive moment for Kenya’s international reputation.
The country has spent the past two years attempting to strengthen anti-money laundering controls after increased scrutiny from global financial watchdogs. Authorities have repeatedly promised tougher oversight of sectors considered vulnerable to illicit financial flows, including gambling, gaming and digital payments.
Industry analysts say the MozzartBet decision could become an early measure of whether the new regulator is willing to enforce those standards against powerful operators.
The company’s troubles also revive memories of Kenya’s 2019 betting industry crackdown when dozens of firms faced licence suspensions over tax disputes. MozzartBet survived that purge after resolving outstanding issues with tax authorities and quickly returning to business while several competitors remained locked in legal battles.
Critics argue that the company has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to navigate regulatory crises and emerge largely unscathed. Supporters counter that the firm continues to employ thousands of people, sponsor sporting activities across the country and contribute significant tax revenues to the Kenyan economy.
That tension now defines the debate surrounding its future.
A growing number of legal observers argue that the issue is no longer about sponsorships, community projects or market popularity. Instead, they say, the focus must remain on whether a company connected to transactions that courts deemed proceeds of crime can satisfy the fit-and-proper threshold required under Kenya’s new gambling framework.
The stakes extend beyond a single bookmaker.
The GRA itself is still a young institution seeking to establish credibility. Any perception that it has ignored the implications of the Court of Appeal judgment could trigger litigation from activists and industry watchdogs determined to test the strength of the new law. Lawyers familiar with the sector say a licence renewal would almost certainly face immediate court challenges.
For MozzartBet, the coming weeks may determine whether Kenya remains one of its most lucrative markets.
For the regulator, the decision could define its reputation for years.
The courts have already delivered their verdict on the transactions that led to the forfeiture case. What remains unresolved is whether those findings are serious enough to disqualify one of Kenya’s biggest betting brands from continuing to operate.
That question will be answered by June 30. And when it is, the outcome will reveal far more than the fate of MozzartBet. It will reveal whether Kenya’s new gambling regime is prepared to enforce its own standards when confronted by one of the industry’s most powerful players.
