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{
    "id": 1402127,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1402127/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 196,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Cheruiyot",
    "speaker_title": "The Senate Majority Leader",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13165,
        "legal_name": "Aaron Kipkirui Cheruiyot",
        "slug": "aaron-cheruiyot"
    },
    "content": "I have taken time to quickly scan through the Report of the Committee on Labour and Social Welfare and the Chair is here, and he can correct me if I am wrong. I was hoping that we could actually impose certain social responsibilities on these gaming companies. By law in other jurisdictions that have understood this concept, a percentage of their revenue is purely dedicated to managing addictions. They are forced to go through your systems to check, for example, how much Sen. Osotsi makes and the particular amount he is spending on gambling. You are then flagged by the system. They are able to tell this particular individual is living dangerously in the gambling space. Therefore, they organize conferences for you and some training on their own budget. As a gambling company, that demand is placed on you. It is my sincere hope that perhaps even as we discuss this Bill, people can think about how to make better demands from these companies, so that we do not end up having many young people losing their opportunities. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I do not want to mention the names of the companies, so that I am not accused of using this premium platform that is Parliament of promoting the activities of one company against the others. However, when one of the most prominent companies that came out and made betting known across the country had difficulties here in Kenya, they went out and set up shop in Tanzania, just next door. Since Tanzania as a country managed this issue better than us, today that company does almost 10 times the revenue they used to do when they were here in Kenya despite the fact that Kenyans are known to have more disposable income than our colleagues in Tanzania. Secondly, they sponsor their local leagues in many sports. The team that they support participates in the African Champions League and reach the quarters and the semis on account of prudent use of these resources that have been generated. Therefore, based on my observations, as a country, we must make a decision and know how to live with this industry, rather than try to curtail it. If there is a lesson we have learnt in the last few years, it is that you cannot curtail the operations of this industry. You can only learn how to do it better. An idea is proposed in the Bill to establish clear guidelines for protecting consumers from exploitation and combating money laundering issues. Gambling companies and gaming casinos are avenues that have been used to launder money. It is important to regulate this environment. The creation of the Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) will provide oversight and enforcement, promoting a safer gambling environment. Additionally, the authorization of price competition and public lotteries will offer economic growth and entertainment opportunities. Further, the imposition of tax on betting and gambling activities will generate significant revenue for public and social services initiatives, ultimately benefiting the country. There has been an attempt to do this through the Sports Fund. Unfortunately, even after setting up the Sports Fund, 80 per cent of the fund was used to do other things that are not sporting related. I am impressed that in one of the Executive Orders of 2023, the President directed that the Sports Fund be wholly dedicated to developing sporting facilities. This is part of The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}