The National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) is in the process of amending Uganda's gaming law to ensure the regulatory framework keeps pace with emerging trends, particularly online gambling.
Speaking during a media engagement in Kampala, NLGRB Chief Executive Officer Denis Mudene Ngabirano said the move has been prompted by the rapid shift of betting activities from physical outlets to online platforms.
"When the current law came into force, gaming operations were largely physical. However, after Covid-19, the sector significantly shifted online. Currently, 93% of gaming activities are online, while only 7% remain physical. We have therefore seen the need to amend the law to address online gaming," Mudene said.
Gaming activities in Uganda are currently regulated under the Lotteries and Gaming Act 2016.
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Richard Kavuma Mutesaasira, Senior Manager for Regulatory Compliance at NLGRB, said the review process is already underway in collaboration with the Solicitor General, the Ministry of Finance, and Parliament.
"When the current law was drafted, gambling was mainly physical, but advancements in mobile phones, internet access, and mobile money have pushed the industry online. At the time the law was enacted, there were no clear provisions for online gambling," Mutesaasira explained.
He noted that the regulator intends to separate online and physical gaming licences under the proposed amendments.
"Currently, once you obtain a betting licence, you can operate both physically and online. We want these to become two distinct licences. If you are licensed for online betting, it should not automatically allow you to conduct physical gaming operations," he added.
Sector Performance
According to the NLGRB, Uganda currently has 63 licensed gaming companies operating across 2,078 premises and employing about 23,000 people, 85% of whom are Ugandans.
Mudene revealed that over the past year, the regulator handled 125 complaints involving approximately Shs2.66 billion. During the same period, authorities confiscated 7,797 illegal gaming machines worth an estimated Shs8.77 billion.
"Most of these machines are not imported as gaming equipment. Importers disguise them as spare parts such as computer or television motherboards. Once they enter the country, they are assembled and distributed illegally," Mudene said.
He added that equipment worth Shs6.21 billion has already been destroyed.
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"There are standards that suppliers and manufacturers of gaming equipment must follow. We need systems that allow us to monitor where the machines are located and how transactions are conducted in order to protect the public. Illegal machines do not meet these standards," he explained.
Despite the sector's growing contribution to the economy, Mudene stressed that the board's primary focus is not revenue collection but promoting responsible gaming and protecting the public from the negative effects of gambling.
"We want people to understand that gaming is for entertainment, not a money-making venture. Only bet what you can afford to lose. Gambling should be treated strictly as a form of entertainment," he said.
