Browsers axe betting sites on speed dials in crackdown
Internet users also often bookmark their favourite sites to make browsing easier. A spot check shows that the speed dials and bookmarks that promoted gaming activities have disappeared from browsers.
Speed dials and bookmarks for popular betting and gaming websites have stopped appearing on browsers in Kenya following a crackdown by the government to limit gambling.
Companies often partner with browsers to display their websites on the speed dials of their users to enhance the visibility of these websites and attract customers.
Speed dials are icons on the interface of a browser that help users quickly navigate to a website without necessarily searching for the website or memorising long URLs (addresses of unique resources on the Internet).
Internet users also often bookmark their favourite sites to make browsing easier. A spot check shows that the speed dials and bookmarks that promoted gaming activities have disappeared from browsers.
But last year, the government through the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB), banned browsers from displaying speed dials and bookmarks for betting and gaming firms to tame rampant gambling.
"It has come to the attention of the board that some betting firms are advertising using the 'speed dial' browser Internet feature without its authorisation. The board is also aware that this service is targeted at the Kenyan betting market," said BCLB last year.
Following the ban, some of the most popular browsers in Kenya, such as Opera Mini, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Brave, no longer display speed dials for gambling sites.
Some of the browsers have protested against the ban, stating that Kenya is the only country in the world that is restricting the popular internet functionality.
Opera Mini for instance recently revealed that the blow from the BCLB ban had forced it to abandon some of its data savings plans for users. The firm estimated that it has about 13 million users in Kenya, who mostly use it due to its data savings features.
The Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek) had also lobbied for the ban, arguing that the speed dials for betting sites were exposing children to harmful gambling addiction.
The Kenyan government has in recent years tightened its grip on the gambling business, including introducing new taxes on betting and gaming to raise tax revenue.
