{"id":3917,"date":"2025-06-12T10:02:48","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T13:02:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/?p=3917"},"modified":"2026-04-19T16:21:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T19:21:39","slug":"ugandas-regulatory-body-urges-investment-in-homegrown-gaming-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/ugandas-regulatory-body-urges-investment-in-homegrown-gaming-tech","title":{"rendered":"Uganda&#8217;s regulatory body urges investment in homegrown gaming tech"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Gaming Regulatory Board calls for more investment in homegrown gaming technology to transform Uganda into Africa\u2019s digital gaming powerhouse and reclaim billions lost to foreign firms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>Uganda.- Uganda can no longer afford to be just a consumer of foreign gaming technology. It must become a leader in developing its own, says the <strong>National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a clarion call for change, NLGRB CEO Denis <strong>Mudene Ngabirano<\/strong> is pushing for a bold shift that would see Uganda transform into a creator and exporter of homegrown <strong>gaming solutions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur vision is clear that Uganda should not merely adopt foreign technologies but become a leader in developing homegrown gaming technologies. This will involve transforming today\u2019s imports into tomorrow\u2019s locally manufactured gaming systems and positioning Uganda as a regional hub in Africa\u2019s digital gaming revolution,\u201d Ngabirano said in a blog post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Uganda\u2019s igaming sector is currently thriving, yet the lion\u2019s share of technology, innovation and revenue flows from abroad. NLGRB estimates that foreign software providers alone earn over Shs100 billion ($28m) annually from <strong>Uganda\u2019s gaming market<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, little of this revenue is reinvested in local skills development or infrastructure and Ngabirano insists this must change. There is already evidence of local success, he claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To fuel this homegrown igaming future, the NLGRB is advocating for policies that compel global gaming giants like<strong> Novomatic<\/strong> to form partnerships with local firms and academic institutions. It is calling on the government to offer tax incentives, create digital innovation zones, and support entrepreneurship and upskilling initiatives in igaming technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>New training programs could focus on game machine engineering, data analytics and artificial intelligence for <strong>responsible gambling<\/strong>, equipping Ugandans with vital skills to lead ethically and innovatively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>National ICT Innovation Hub<\/strong> is emerging as a key force in shaping the country\u2019s digital future. Ngabirano says it is giving local developers the tools and access they need, like open APIs from international companies, to build smart, relevant gaming solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He said that as Uganda advances towards a digital future, the gaming sector presents a significant opportunity to drive local innovation and inclusive economic development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recognising this, the NLGRB has prioritised innovation in its Strategic Plan 2025\/26 &#8211; 2029\/30, with a focus on stimulating ICT growth, nurturing local talent and fostering partnerships between Ugandan institutions and global leaders in tech. With more investment, Uganda can replicate and scale success projects. With more investment, Uganda can replicate and scale success projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This effort goes beyond technology and marks a bold move for Uganda to reclaim economic control. With the right vision, investment and willpower, the country has a chance not just to play the game but to own it.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"see-also-container\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"see-also-label\">See also:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"related-article\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"related-article__thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/04\/Japan-has-no-plans-to-legalise-online-gambling-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"related-article__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"see-also-label-strong\">See also:<\/span> <a href='https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/70-of-ugandan-youth-engage-in-gambling-study-reveals'>70% of Ugandan youth engage in gambling, study reveals<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gaming Regulatory Board calls for more investment in homegrown gaming technology to transform Uganda into Africa\u2019s digital gaming powerhouse and reclaim billions lost to foreign firms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2396,"featured_media":3920,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"is_press_release":false,"is_interview":false,"is_opinion":false,"focusai_summary":"Uganda's National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) is advocating for a strategic shift to foster homegrown gaming technology, aiming to position the nation as a regional digital gaming hub. This initiative seeks to mitigate the significant revenue outflow to foreign software providers, estimated at $28 million annually, by promoting local innovation, skill development, and strategic partnerships with global industry players. The NLGRB advocates for government incentives and policy frameworks to support this economic transformation.","focusai_entities":"National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board, NLGRB, Denis Mudene Ngabirano, Novomatic, National ICT Innovation Hub","focusai_location":"Uganda, Africa","focusai_target_profile":"ceo_executive (0.9), regulator (1.0), compliance_legal (0.7), operator_casino (0.8), product_ux (0.7), tech_data (0.9), investor_analyst (0.9), supplier_vendor (1.0), journalist_researcher (1.0)","focusai_suggestions":[{"label":"Policy Impact on Novomatic","query":"What specific policy mechanisms or legislative changes is the NLGRB proposing to compel global gaming giants like Novomatic to form local partnerships and transfer technology?"},{"label":"Local Investment Incentives","query":"Beyond tax incentives, what detailed government support and digital innovation zone frameworks are being considered to attract and nurture local iGaming technology entrepreneurship and upskilling initiatives?"}],"footnotes":""},"categories":[60013,60021],"tags":[1338,60315,1593],"class_list":["post-3917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-east-africa","category-igaming-news","tag-gaming-regulation","tag-innovation","tag-responsible-gambling"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2396"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3917"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3917\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3924,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3917\/revisions\/3924"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3920"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}