Gambling in media requires an industry-driven solution

Mathias Momanyi

KBC radio presenter Mathias Momanyi at work. 

Photo credit: Chris Adungo | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Promotion of and advertising of gambling on media platforms is a potential public health issue.
  • It may have a direct and material effect on gambling participation particularly by children.

Media regulation is changing fast, largely because of the changed nature of news distribution and shrinking revenue base and aggressive marketing that often borders on breach of ethical standards. 

For media regulators, it is a constant search for new and responsive approaches that ensure audiences are empowered to consume content that is not harmful.

As media outlets continuously innovate to remain sustainable, regulators, aware of the fundamental requirement to protect freedom of expression while ensuring dissemination of professional content, invest in research and knowledge exchange to ensure this balance is respected.

This is the context in which the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), concerned about what appears unregulated gambling and promotion of related activities, formed a taskforce to review betting and related activities in media outlets.

The eminent media sector professionals will address emerging issues and best practice and their impact on the industry and investigate media houses’ ability to vet advertisements and outside content and shows to guide MCK on the place of advertising code in relation to promotion and hosting of gambling in media.

Gambling programmes

That is in line with the MCK’s broader intervention to ensure compliance with the standards in the Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism in Kenya that places the overall responsibility of media content on editors accredited by the Council. The Council has also developed an advertising code of conduct and initiated training on ethical practice. 

MCK is constitutionally mandated to set media standards and regulate compliance with them, and promote and enhance ethical and professional standards among journalists and media enterprises.

The composition of the task force was a deliberate effort to draw experiences from knowledgeable media experts, given the gravity of gambling in our radio, television and online media platforms. Given the pervasiveness of gambling in the industry it is critical that the issue is addressed by the media.

Also incorporated are key state agencies — the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) and the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) — given their central role in regulation of gambling and broadcasting, respectively. There are legitimate lotteries and jackpot games licensed by BLCB and CA. But some broadcasters are flouting set regulations on gambling and journalism. Our intent to assess gambling in the media is to complement the efforts of the agencies while regulating media practice.

Promotion of and advertising of gambling on media platforms is a potential public health issue. It may have a direct and material effect on gambling participation particularly by children. Recently, we have observed that media houses are taking part or running gambling programmes without licenses and advertising gambling outside watershed hours, even on children shows. The best solution to a media problem should be driven by the media.

Mr Omwoyo is CEO, Media Council of Kenya (MCK). [email protected]