Uganda’s NLGRB teams with Jinja officials to tighten gaming enforcement and hours rules
The push targets illegal operations, underage access and a review of operating hours to reflect urban–rural differences.
Key takeaways:
- Uganda’s National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) has engaged security and administrative leaders in Jinja to strengthen coordination on gaming regulation and enforcement.
- The meeting brought together town clerks and local government officials to address illegal gaming and underage access.
- Participants called for stronger penalties against operators and individuals who breach gaming regulations.
- Local officials urged a review of gaming operational hours to reflect differences between cities, municipalities, towns and rural areas.
- The engagement follows a pre-licensing stakeholder meeting with operators and forms part of NLGRB’s wider push to work more closely with local authorities on compliance.
Uganda.- Uganda’s National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) has moved to tighten community-level enforcement by teaming up with security and administrative leaders in Jinja. The meeting focused on curbing illegal gaming and underage access, with officials pressing for harsher penalties and a review of operating hours that accounts for urban–rural differences.
The engagement brought together Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), Regional Police Commanders (RPCs), District Police Commanders (DPCs), Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs), District Internal Security Officers (DISOs), General Internal Security Officers (GISOs), town clerks and other local government officials.
The meeting addressed illegal gaming, underage access, youth participation, family welfare and security concerns linked to gaming activities. Participants called for stronger penalties against operators and individuals who breach gaming regulations. They also urged a review of gaming operational hours, arguing that regulatory requirements should take account of differences between cities, municipalities, towns and rural areas.
Jinja District resident district commissioner Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi said gaming provides socio-economic benefits but requires effective oversight. He added that future legal reforms should recognise the different conditions across Uganda’s urban and rural areas, while pledging support from district leaders for regulatory enforcement.
The NLGRB said the engagement would support closer cooperation between the regulator, security agencies and local authorities in addressing non-compliance and promoting responsible gaming at community level.
The engagement forms part of the NLGRB’s efforts to work more closely with local authorities in enforcing Uganda’s gaming regulations. It comes shortly after the Board held a pre-licensing stakeholder engagement with gaming operators to discuss regulatory requirements and expectations for the next licensing period.
