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.
