Kenyan Parliament Targets Aviator Betting Game Over Addiction Fears

Caption: Aviator game under scrutiny for its impact on Kenyan youth and families

Kenyan lawmakers are now targeting the popular online betting game Aviator, raising alarms over its social and economic consequences on the population. During a heated session in Parliament on Wednesday, April 16, Gilgil MP Martha Wangari Wanjira called for immediate government intervention to regulate the game.

“I rise to seek a statement from the chairperson of the Committee on Finance regarding the measures being taken by the government in respect to its mandate of regulating and controlling gaming activities in Kenya, specifically the so-called Aviator game of chance,” she stated.

Concerns Over Addiction and Financial Loss

The MP warned of rising cases of students betting away school fees and parents losing life savings in the pursuit of quick wins. Unlike traditional betting tied to sports outcomes, Aviator allows players to wager on how long a pair of virtual planes will stay in the air before crashing—no skills or strategy involved.

“The craze has terrorized both women and men and the youth in equal measure by gobbling up livelihoods,” Wangari said. “There are numerous cases of students gambling on their school fees and parents gambling on their savings.”

Read more about Kenya’s rising betting addiction crisis

Aggressive Marketing by Betting Companies

The MP also slammed betting companies and media houses for aggressively marketing the game, including placing ads during prime-time TV and radio shows. She cited reports that betting-related content has even been embedded in mainstream news bulletins on popular stations.

“There is evidence of a firm whose betting and gaming activities are part of prime-time news in one of the most watched TV stations in the country,” Wangari added, accusing betting firms of profiting massively at the public’s expense.

Media houses under fire over betting ads

Calls for Regulation and Transparency

The legislator is now demanding answers from the Committee on Finance and the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB). She wants clarity on:

• The legality and registration status of the Aviator game in Kenya
• Revenue collected from betting and gaming taxes
• Statistics on annual betting expenditure by Kenyans
• Regulatory steps taken to control betting advertisements in print, radio, and television
• A complete list of licensed betting firms and media houses involved in gaming promotions

Kenyans spent Sh230B on betting last year – BCLB report

The parliamentary committee has been given a deadline of Thursday, April 17 to respond with a full report and recommendations.

As Kenya grapples with rising gambling addiction among its youth, the crackdown on Aviator may just be the beginning of a wider effort to reform the country’s online gaming sector.