Uganda moves to update gambling laws as industry shifts online
NLGRB CEO said about 93 per cent of gaming activity is now online.
Uganda.- The National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) is reviewing Uganda’s gaming law to address the move towards online gambling and update licensing rules in the sector. The regulator said the reform comes as most betting activity now takes place on digital platforms.
In an interview last week, NLGRB chief executive officer Denis Mudene Ngabirano said about 93 per cent of gaming activity is now online, compared to 7 per cent in physical locations, exposing gaps in the existing legal framework.
He said: “When the current law came into force, gaming operations were largely physical. However, after Covid-19, the sector significantly shifted online.”
Senior manager for regulatory compliance Richard Kavuma Mutesaasira noted that the amendment process is being carried out with input from the Solicitor General, the Ministry of Finance, and Parliament.
He added that the growth of mobile phones, internet access, and mobile money has accelerated the shift, while the original law did not adequately cover online gambling.
Kavuma said the proposed changes will introduce separate licences for online and physical gaming operators. Under the current system, a single licence allows operators to run both formats.
Uganda currently has 63 licensed gaming companies operating across 2,078 premises and employing about 23,000 people, 85 per cent of whom are Ugandans.
The regulator also reported 125 complaints involving about Shs2.66bn (€605,847) over the past year. During the same period, authorities confiscated 7,797 illegal gaming machines valued at about Shs8.77bn (€1.99m)
Officials said many of the machines are smuggled into the country disguised as electronic spare parts, including computer and television components, before being assembled and distributed locally. They added that equipment worth Shs6.21bn (€1.4m) has already been destroyed as part of enforcement actions.
Ngabirano said the regulator is also pushing for stronger monitoring systems to track gaming equipment and transactions more effectively, arguing that illegal machines fail to meet required standards and expose users to risk. He added that the board’s focus is not only revenue collection but also consumer protection and responsible gambling.
