NLGRB moves to amend law to regulate online gambling
“Gaming activities in Uganda are currently regulated under the Lotteries and Gaming Act 2016. When the current law was enacted, 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 noted.
Denis Mudene Ngabirano, NLGRB Chief Executive Officer, during a media engagement held at their offices in Bugolobi with the aim of keeping the fourth estate abreast with the latest developments in the sector.
KAMPALA - The National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) says it is in the process of amending Uganda’s gaming law to ensure the regulatory framework keeps pace with the fast-emerging trends, particularly online gambling.
The revelation was made on Tuesday by Denis Mudene Ngabirano, NLGRB Chief Executive Officer, during a media engagement held at their offices in Bugolobi with the aim of keeping the fourth estate abreast with the latest developments in the sector.
“Gaming activities in Uganda are currently regulated under the Lotteries and Gaming Act 2016. When the current law was enacted, 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 noted.
Richard Kavuma Mutesaasira, Senior Manager for Regulatory Compliance at NLGRB, explained that 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 added that the regulator intends to separate online and physical gaming licenses under the proposed amendments to streamline operations.
“Currently, once you obtain a betting license, you can operate both physically and online. We want these to become two distinct licenses. If you are licensed for online betting, it should not automatically allow you to conduct physical gaming operations,” he added.
Industry 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. Equipment worth Shs6.21b has already been destroyed.”
The board also says there are standards that suppliers and manufacturers of gaming equipment must follow, and this is being improved through systems that allow them to monitor where the machines are located and how transactions are conducted in order to protect the public from being cheated from illegal machines.
Despite the sector’s growing contribution to the economy, Mudene stresses that the board’s primary focus is not revenue collection but promoting responsible gaming and protecting the public from the negative effects of gambling.
“The goal is for 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.”