By Mercy Imali
Betting firms can now breathe a sigh of relief after the High Court quashed a government directive that banned outdoor advertising.
The Association of Practitioners in Advertising strongly condemned the regulations on betting advertisements, terming them dictatorial and bad for business
Justice John Mativo declared the directive made by the Betting Control and Licensing Board dated April 30th banning outdoor advertising of gambling null and void.
The judge ruled the directive was tainted with illegality, unreasonableness and procedural impropriety.
The board essentially outlawed advertising of gambling on all social media platforms as well as ads on gambling between 6 am and 10 pm.
In a notice signed by the Acting Director, Liti Wambua, the board further banned any endorsement of gambling operations by celebrities.
All advertisements were to be approved by the board and must contain a warning to the public of its consequences.