Noose tightens on gambling kingpins: Chinese, Ugandan accomplices rounded up

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Scores of Chinese nationals spread across the country have been busted by National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) officials for engaging in illegal distribution of slot machines and evading payment of the requisite gaming licence fees.

Operating under a cartel, these suspects, part of a wider group, were rounded up in an operation code-named Operation Mashine Haramu (Swahili for illegal machines), which has seen over 6,000 illegal gambling machines confiscated and scores of illegal operators detained.  

The crackdown is part of a wider effort by NLGRB to combat the spread of illegal gambling machines, which have cost the government at least shillings 350 million in lost revenue.

On December 14, a statement by NLGRB said working with the Police, in an intelligence-led surveillance operation in Bukolobe Village, Kamuli district, uncovered an illegal gaming manufacturer, only identified as Chen, a Chinese manufacturer, who has been operating without a licence from the board.

“A court order was lawfully secured, enabling a co-ordinated search at two locations in Bukolobe and Bunangwe, both linked to the suspect. Items recovered during the operation include 13 fish tables, three slot machines, 32 TV screens, 17 boxes of assorted spare parts and five generators,” reads the statement.

Accordingly, the statement indicated that the suspect is still at large, and investigations are ongoing to apprehend all individuals involved in this illegal gaming activity.

More cases

In an earlier operation, the officers seized several illegal slot machines and ‘fish tables’, which are often imported disguised as hard drives and assembled locally to evade taxes. 

Among the accomplices arrested is Asuman Wadeya, a known gaming machine technician in Lungujja, Kampala.   

Following a tip-off, his workshop was raided by enforcement officers, and they were able to recover 399 motherboards for slot machines, 15 complete Chinese slot machines and 2 sacks of spare parts for gaming machines. 

The second suspect, only identified as Ssentongo, a kingpin in the illicit trade, was found to have shifted overnight from his shop to a yet unidentified place.

In September, two other suspects, bar attendant Patricia Mwesigwa and Rajabu Kavuma Kitakule from Masaka city were arrested and charged at Makindye court for making gaming and betting machines available for use without a licence, contrary to the Lotteries and Gaming Act Cap 334.  

The arrests followed several others in the Busoga region and Lira city, where 286 illegal gaming machines were seized.

A list seen by New Vision Online of illegal manufacturers and suppliers, includes Fujian Industries in Nkoowe, run by two Chinese nationals. These men were convicted and sentenced to a fine of shillings 800,000 or three-month imprisonment.  

Another suspect, Jackson Nkumba, was sentenced to a fine of shillings 300,000. Another suspect, Eddie Mubuuke, who was found with 10 incomplete fish tables and 14 metallic table stands, was convicted and sentenced to a fine of shillings 900,000 or 18 months' imprisonment. One Denis Kavulu, operating at Equatorial Mall in Kampala city, was sentenced to a fine of shillings two million. The biggest fine of 3.5 millio0n was given to Zeng Feng in Mbarara City.

“Enforcement and Investigation teams have been following some information for two weeks, provided by an informant that some two operators are dealing in gaming spare parts in Lungujja. With the help of uniformed Police officers from Central Police Station (CPS) Kampala, an enforcement exercise was conducted that led to the arrest of one Asuman Wadeya, a renowned gaming machine technician in Lungujja, Kikandwa, Rubaga division. The suspect has been detained pending investigations and charging at Makindye Standards Court,” police sources say.

NLGRB chief executive officer Dennis Mudene Ngabirano says since they launched an aggressive campaign against illegal gaming machines, several have been confiscated and over five suspects arrested since July 2025.

“In accordance with the Lotteries and Gaming Act Cap. 334, the Board is mandated to supervise and regulate the establishment, management and operation of the lotteries, gaming, betting and casinos in Uganda and to protect the citizens from the adverse effects of gaming or betting in Uganda. All crackdowns or enforcement activities are conducted in accordance with Section 67 of the Lotteries and Gaming Act Cap. 334,” he says.

He clarifies that whereas the Board has, over the past years, conducted enforcement and destruction of illegal gaming machines, the recently launched “Mashine Haramu” is a game-changer.

“The logic behind ‘Operation Mashine Haramu’ signals a shift toward sustained and visible enforcement beyond the ad hoc crackdowns. The timing may reflect a readiness (in resources, intelligence, and partnerships) to carry out a more ambitious nationwide operation. We have the support of Uganda Police as well as a team of investigators attached to the Board from CID,” he said.

He reveals that the Board has not only confiscated illegal machines but also destroyed them (in partnership with the National Enterprise Corporation at Luwero Industries) through a court order. He argues that by permanently removing the illegal machines from circulation, the chances of reuse and resale are diminished.

He says that unlicensed gaming machines often have a negative health and social impact. As such, the crackdown will help to boost the NLGRB’s legitimacy and signal that it is responsive to citizens’ concerns.

“To the pockets of the illegal/ non-compliant operators, manufacturers and suppliers, all I can say is that they need to regularise now than get shut down or apprehended. To the licensed operators, you are also under scrutiny, and you should endeavour to remain compliant,” he said.

Ngabirano revealed plans to strengthen licensing and regulatory oversight via digital systems like E-licensing and also linking licensed operators’ systems to a National Central Electronic Monitoring System (NCEMS) so that operations are more transparent and can be audited or inspected.

The Board has also established regional offices in the cities of Gulu, Mbale and Mbarara to decentralise oversight and foster enforcement, compliance monitoring, and stakeholder engagement can happen closer to where operators are.

“We have also made licensing and compliance details public so citizens can verify which operators are licensed. All licensed operators are publicised on the Board’s official website, www.lgrb.go.ug.  However, as a regulator, we also encourage tip-offs, reports from the public and local leaders to help spot illegal operators,” he says.

He reveals that they have since established a call centre (Toll-free-0800285800) and social media as a reporting portal for community members to report unlicensed machine operators, suppliers, manufacturers or suspicious behaviour.

Gaming has transformed

Under the stewardship of NLGRB, Gaming has transformed from a loosely governed pastime to a structured high-revenue sector.

Finance ministry data shows that annual revenue from gaming has soared, rising from shillings 50.6 billion in the 2019/2020 financial year to 323 billion in the 12 months to June 2025.  In the same year, the industry turnover exploded from 500 billion to eight trillion.

Ngabirano says the introduction of NCEMS, a digital platform that tracks gaming transactions in real time, has been a game-changer, enhancing transparency, compliance and accountability.

“The gaming sector’s financial performance has been impressive. Last financial year, the board collected 323 billion shillings in taxes, with projections to reach 400 billion shillings this year. However, revenue generation is not the primary focus. Our major focus is not just revenue collection.  The major focus is to protect Uganda from the adverse effects of gaming,” he concluded.