The Communications Authority (CA) has taken a strong stand. Several TV stations ignored the law by airing gambling adverts without permission. Including Yahweh Media Services, the authority has fined nine TV stations Sh500,000 each for breaking the rules. These stations were caught promoting gambling activities even after being told to stop.
The Communications Authority gave a clear order to all TV stations in early 2025. On March 13, they sent notices to 33 broadcasters. The notices warned them not to air gambling adverts without the proper licenses. On April 23, later on, the authority reminded everyone again with a general advisory to follow the rules strictly.
In the second week of May, a review showed that some broadcasters continued airing gambling adverts despite the warnings. This violated the law and showed disrespect for the regulator’s rules. As a result, the CA decided to impose heavy fines and gave these stations a strict 12-hour deadline to stop airing such adverts.
The crackdown followed a shocking TV report exposing how some stations, meant to spread religious messages, were secretly promoting gambling. The report revealed that some televangelists were running raffles and prize competitions. While they appeared to be faith-based blessings, they were actually schemes to encourage gambling.
A lot of people watching these shows thought they were joining a religious giveaway. Nonetheless, the reality was different. Some pastors featured in the report confessed to making large sums of money, sometimes up to Sh700,000 in a single day, from viewers who believed they were participating in faith-based competitions.
This type of disguised gambling is dangerous because it tricks people, especially those who trust these religious programs, into spending money on illegal gambling activities. The Communications Authority found this unacceptable and decided to act quickly to protect viewers from being misled.
