NLGRB takes anti-illegal gaming push to Ibanda with local leaders and police

The regulator is widening its enforcement outreach beyond national level, starting with Jinja and now Ibanda, to close gaps on unlicensed operations.

Key takeaways:

• The NLGRB held an enforcement outreach meeting in Ibanda District with RDCs, the district chairperson, CAO, DPC, LC leaders, town clerks and sub-county chiefs.
• The engagement follows a similar meeting in Jinja and forms part of the Board’s push to involve local authorities and security agencies in tackling illegal gaming.
• Discussions focused on improving coordination, clarifying the NLGRB’s mandate and establishing clearer channels for reporting and enforcement at community level.
• Ibanda LC5 chairperson Happy Herbert Mayanja called for firm enforcement that keeps communities (“wananchi”) at the centre of regulatory action.
• The DPC’s representative, ASP Paul Nabimanya, backed more sensitisation so district leaders can better support enforcement and reduce gambling-related harm.

Uganda.- Uganda’s National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) has extended its enforcement campaign to Ibanda District, convening local leaders and security officials to tackle illegal gaming and related risks. After a similar outreach in Jinja, the Board is using these engagements to clarify its mandate, strengthen reporting and enforcement channels, and embed community-level support for gambling laws.

The meeting in Ibanda brought together Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), the district chairperson, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), District Police Commander (DPC), Local Council leaders, town clerks, officers in charge, sub-county chiefs and other local stakeholders. The discussions covered the need for closer coordination between the regulator and local structures in addressing illegal gaming. Greater understanding of the Board’s mandate among district officials is expected to establish clearer channels for reporting, enforcement and cooperation.

The NLGRB used the engagement to explain its regulatory mandate and discuss the challenges involved in enforcing gambling laws at the community level. Particular attention was given to illegal gaming operations and security concerns associated with activities outside the regulated framework.

The Board also stressed the role of district leadership in supporting regulatory enforcement. Local authorities and security agencies are among the institutions closest to communities where gaming activities operate, giving them an important role in identifying unlawful operations and supporting enforcement interventions.

Happy Herbert Mayanja, LC5 chairperson of Ibanda District, stressed the need to combine firm enforcement with consideration for communities affected by regulatory decisions. He said: “There is the law, and there are the wananchi we are mandated to protect. Let us work together to enforce the law firmly with our people remaining the core focus.”

ASP Paul Nabimanya, representing the DPC Ibanda, welcomed the Board’s engagement with local leaders and called for more sensitisation on gambling regulation. Nabimanya said continued sensitisation would help equip district leaders with the knowledge required to support enforcement and protect members of the public from gambling-related harm.

According to the NLGRB, the engagement reflects its broader focus on involving local authorities in gambling regulation. The Board noted that gambling laws are more effectively implemented when they are understood and supported at the community level.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

• What is the NLGRB trying to achieve with meetings in Ibanda and Jinja? The regulator is extending enforcement beyond national level by involving district authorities and security agencies in tackling illegal gaming. The goal is to improve coordination, reporting and understanding of the NLGRB’s mandate at community level.
• Who attended the NLGRB’s meeting in Ibanda? Participants included the Resident District Commissioner, district chairperson, Chief Administrative Officer, District Police Commander, Local Council leaders, town clerks, officers in charge and sub-county chiefs, among other local stakeholders. The broad attendance is intended to create clear channels for cooperation and enforcement.
• What role are local leaders and police expected to play? They are seen as key to identifying illegal operations and supporting enforcement interventions, given their proximity to communities where gaming activities operate. The NLGRB expects that, with greater sensitisation, they will be better equipped to report and act against unregulated gambling.
• What did Ibanda representatives say about the enforcement approach? LC5 chairperson Happy Herbert Mayanja called for firm application of the law while keeping communities (“wananchi”) at the centre of regulatory action. The DPC’s representative, ASP Paul Nabimanya, backed further sensitisation so district leaders can more effectively support enforcement and protect the public from gambling-related harm.